Stay ConnectedThe Daily Gardener is a weekday podcast celebrating garden history, literature, and the small botanical stories that shape how we garden today.
Each episode follows an “on this day” format, uncovering the people, plants, books, and moments that have quietly influenced gardens across time.
New episodes are released Monday through Friday, and each show features a thoughtfully chosen garden book.
Copyright: Copyright ©2019-2020, Jennifer Ebeling|The Daily Gardener All rights reserved
Today we celebrate the French botanist and explorer who christened the Begonia, the Magnolia, and the Fuchsia. We'll also learn about one of the best and earliest botanical collectors and artists in Holland - and she was a woman to boot. We celebrate the American naturalist born into one of our country's botanical founding families. We also celebrate the life of one of America's greatest garden writers, Louise Beebe Wilder. We honor the life of a Spanish artist who equated his work as a painter and sculptor to that of a gardener. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about Gardening in Your Front Yard - it's packed with ideas and projects for big and small spaces. It's an idea that is gaining popularity and acceptance thanks to stay at home orders and physical distancing - one of the few positive effects of dealing with the pandemic. And then we'll wrap things up with a delightful dessert that continues to impress, and that is having it's a special day today - and we've been making and enjoying it in this country for well over 100 years now. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News The 7 Best Indoor Herb Gardens by Scarlett James | Bustle "Fresh herbs are an undeniable delight, even if you don't channel Ina Garten on a daily basis. But they often end up half-used or forgotten in the back of the fridge. The best indoor herb gardenwill bring bold, fresh flavor to your kitchen in just the amount you need." Garden Shopping in the Produce Aisle Did you know that you can regrow or grow many items from your produce aisle in the supermarket? It's true. Two of the many gardening books I brought with me to the cabin when I came up here to quarantine were No-Waste Kitchen Gardening: Regrow Your Leftover Greens, Stalks, Seeds, and More by Katie Elzer-Peters and Don'tThrow It, Grow It!: 68 windowsill plants from kitchen scraps by Deborah Peterson With seeds being harder and harder to source, these books are a great reminder that we shouldn't be tossing out our kitchen scraps — we can use them to grow! Right now, thanks to books like these, I'm growing onion, garlic, spring onions, carrots, and even radish greens - all of them from food scraps. What's more, I'm discovering that the possibilities are really endless. You'll be amazed at all of the options for utilizing pieces and parts of produce from the grocery store to regrow food you never thought possible. This practice of growing and gardening from produce scraps is a great way to reduce food waste and even help your family to understand the power of gardening and the powerful cycle of growing and harvesting. Botany really is an exciting and wonderful area of science that you can easily study in your own kitchen. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1646 Today is the birthday of the French priest and botanist Charles Plumier. He was born in Marseille. Regarded as one of the most important botanical explorers of his time, Plumier served as a botanist to King Louis XIV of France, and he traveled many times to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. During his third expedition to the Greater Antilles, Plumier discovered the Fuchsia triphylla on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and he named the fuchsia plant after the 16th-century German botanist Leonhart Fuchs. Sometimes Charles Plumier is referred to as the Father of the Fuchsia. Also known as ladies eardrops, the Fuchsia has colorful upside-down blossoms that hang from the stems. That drooping habit is reflected in the Irish name for Fuchsia - Deora Dé - meaning God's Tears. The fruit of all the species of Fuchsia is edible. Although many Fuschia fruits are bland and have a bad aftertaste, the Fuschia variety splendens has flavorful fruit and can be used to make jam. In addition to the Fuchsia, Plumier discovered and named both the Begonia and the Magnolia. Plumier named the Begonia after Michel Begon, who was the governor of the French Antilles for three years from 1682 to 1685. In fact, it was Begon who recommended Plumier for the position of plant collector in the Caribbean to King Louis XIV. Plumier named the Magnolia for the botanist Pierre Magnol - Magnol introduced the concept of plant families. The plant names Fuschia, Begonia, and Magnolia first appeared in Plumier's 1703 book called Nova Plantarum Americanarum Genera. Plumier drew the plants and animals that he discovered, and his drawings were quite good. In fact, Plumier's illustrations of fish were featured in a book by Professor Ted Pietsch called Charles Plumier and His Drawings of French Caribbean Fishes. And, Carl Linnaeus used Plumier's work to make a wallpaper for his home. Today, Plumier is remembered by the genus Plumeria. A tropical, the Plumeria grows in shrubs & trees. Plumeria is sometimes called by the common name frangipani. This is because an Italian Marquis named Frangipani used Plumeria blossoms to create a perfume that was used to scent gloves during the 16th century. 1704 Today is the anniversary of the death of the inspiring female Dutch collector, paper artist, illustrator, and horticulturist, Agnes Block. A Dutch Mennonite, Agnes first married a silk merchant named Hans de Wollf. His income made it possible for Agnes to pursue her many passions. The Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel praised her illustrations and art, while the Dutch artist Jan Weenix forever captured the image of Agnes and her second husband, also a silk merchant, in their outdoor courtyard at their place called Vijverhof. Agnes had purchased Vijverhof, which was located just outside Amsterdam, after the death of her first husband. She had married again when she was 45. At Vijverhof, Agnes collected curiosities, and she installed gardens that were filled with rare and novel plants. Indeed, the many exotics plants and various elements of her garden - like the arbors - became the primary subjects of many pieces of her work. Also, Agnes commissioned some of the top botanical artists of her time to capture the beauty of the plants and insects at Vijverhof. In fact, history tells us that her gardens were so impressive that they even made royalty jealous. During her lifetime, Agnes was able to experiment and work in an area that was mostly reserved for men. Today, most gardeners are surprised to learn that it was Agnes Block who successfully grew the first pineapple in Europe in 1687 - thanks to her hothouses. In a nod to her accomplishment, when Jan Weenix painted Agnes in her garden, he made sure to include the tropical pineapple. Sadly, Block's work was lost to time, but many famous painters captured aspects of her gardens at Vijverhof - including the great Maria Sybilla Merian. 1739 Today is the birthday of the naturalist William Bartram. In 1775, when he was 36 years old, William Bartram left Charleston, South Carolina, on horseback to explore the Cherokee Nation near Franklin, North Carolina. In addition to his botanical discoveries, Bartram was a student of all aspects of the natural world. His prose was eloquent, as is evident in this passage about traveling through a terrible storm as he began to make his way up the Jore Mountains. "It was now after noon; I approached a charming vale... Darkness gathers around, far distant thunder rolls over the trembling hills; ...all around is now still as death, ... a total inactivity and silence seems to pervade the earth; the birds afraid to utter a chirrup, ...nothing heard but the roaring of the approaching hurricane; ...now the lofty forests bend low beneath its fury,... the face of the earth is obscured by the deluge descending from the firmament, and I am deafened by the din of thunder; the tempestuous scene damps my spirits, and my horse sinks under me at the tremendous peals, as I hasten for the plain. I began to ascend the Jore Mountains, which I at length accomplished, and rested on the most elevated peak; from whence, I beheld with rapture and astonishment, a sublimely awful scene of power and magnificence, a world of mountains piled upon mountains." 1938 Today is the anniversary of the death of one of America's greatest Garden writers and one of the 20th century's most famous horticulturists, Louise Beebe Wilder. Louise was born into a wealthy family in Baltimore. After marrying an architect named Walter Wilder, they bought a country place - a 200-acre estate in Pomona, New York; they called BalderBrae. Louise set about adding fountains, terraces, arbors, walled gardens, and pathways. Her book called "My Garden" shared Louise's experiences learning how to garden at BalderBrae, where one of her first flower beds was bordered with clothespins. At BalderBrae, Louise and Walter created a garden and a stone garden house that was made famous in Louise's book "Color in My Garden" - which came out in 1918 and is generally regarded as her best work. In the book, Louise was the first garden writer to write about gray as a garden color. Louise was also the first person to write about Moonlight Gardens, and she wrote about looking at plants under the light of the Moon. After World War I, Walter and Louise settled in suburban Bronxville, New York. Louise created a personal Eden on a single acre of land complete with stone pillars and a long grape arbor. It was here that Louise began rock gardening. After 1920, most of her garden writing focused on rock gardening. Louise inspired both women and men to rock garden. By 1925, Louise founded a local Working Gardeners Club in Bronxville, and she also had steady work as a garden designer and as a garden writer. Her experiences gave her material for her writing. Louise included so many people from Bronxville in her writing that her columns were referred to by locals as "a Bronxville Family Affair." In all, Louise wrote eleven books about gardening. Her voice is pragmatic and pointed, which is why they were popular; gardeners appreciated her no-nonsense advice. For instance, Louise was not a fan of double flowers. In her book, "The Fragrant Path" from 1932, she wrote: "Some flowers are, I am sure, intended by a wise God to remain single. The hyacinth doubled, for instance, is a fat abomination." Louise wrote for a number of publications, and her writing was published in many prominent periodicals like the Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society of England and the New York Times. House and garden alone published close to a hundred and fifty articles by Louise. Many of Louise's columns were collected and published as books. A year before she died, Louise was honored with the Gold Medal for Horticultural Achievement from the Garden Club of America. It was the pinnacle moment in her career, and it came as Louise and her children were still grieving the loss of her husband. In the Spring of 1934, Walter had committed suicide after a long battle with mental illness. Louise wrote prolifically about gardening and plants. Her experiences resulted in increasing the awareness of different plant species, gardening practices, and she helped shape the gardens of her time. Louise gave us many wonderful garden quotes. On Snowdrops: "Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration…in the very teeth of winter." On Rosemary, "It makes a charming pot plant, neat, svelte, with its dark, felt-lined leaves held sleek against its sides. The smell… is keen and heady, resinous, yet sweet, with a hint of nutmeg." On Roses: "Over and over again, I have experienced the quieting influence of rose scent upon a disturbed state of mind." On gardening: "In the garden, every person may be their own artist without apology or explanation. Each within their green enclosure is a creator, and no two shall reach the same conclusion." Louise is buried with her parents in lot 41 in Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It was a shock to read that her grave is unmarked and to see that it is completely unadorned - without any flowers - nor does it rest under the shade of a tree. 1893 Today is the birthday of the Spanish painter and artist Joan Miró Born in Barcelona, Miró's surrealist art left a mark on the world. Gardeners will especially enjoy his 1918 work called The Vegetable Garden with Donkey and his 1919 work called "Vines and Olive Trees." Miró's biography was subtitled I Work Like a Gardener, and it captured his thoughts about his art and his work: "More important than a work of art itself is what it will sow. Art can die; what matters is that it should have sown seeds on the earth… It must give birth to a world." Miró recognized that sculpture was most at home in the natural world. Gardeners love to incorporate sculpture and art into the garden. Regarding sculpture, Miró said, "Sculpture must stand in the open air, in the middle of nature." And, it was Joan Miró who said, "I think of my studio as a vegetable garden, where things follow their natural course. They grow, they ripen. You have to graft. You have to water... I work like a gardener or a winegrower." Unearthed Words Here are some very true words about this time of year - which can be a mix of hurry up and waiting as the weather evens out. The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. — Henry Van Dyke, American author and clergyman The early mist had vanished, and the fields lay like a silver shield under the sun. It was one of the days when the glitter of winter shines through a pale haze of spring. — Edith Wharton, American novelist and designer A sap run is the sweet goodbye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost. — John Burroughs, American naturalist and writer The sun was warm, but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day. When the sun is out, and the wind is still, You're one month on in the middle of May. But if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud comes over the sunlit arch, And wind comes off a frozen peak, And you're two months back in the middle of March. — Robert Frost, American poet, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926 In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. — Mark Twain, American writer and humorist Poets and songwriters speak highly of spring as one of the great joys of life in the temperate zone, but in the real world, most of spring is disappointing. We looked forward to it too long, and the spring we had in mind in February was warmer and dryer than the actual spring when it finally arrives. We'd expected it to be a whole season, like winter, instead of a handful of separate moments and single afternoons. — Barbara Holland, American author, Endangered Pleasures I wonder if the sap is stirring yet, If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate, If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun And crocus fires a…
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the German artist who painted botanicals with extraordinary detail. We'll also learn about the botanist who left his mark on the anatomy of the human eye. We celebrate the Spanish botanist who spent his life in Columbia, where, among other things, he studied the cinchona tree and used the quinine to treat malaria. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will help you become more self-sufficient one square foot at a time. And then we'll wrap things up with a celebration of the California State Flower. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Vegetable Seeds Are the New Toilet Paper by Alex Robinson | Modern Farmer "...Home gardeners are preparing to grow their own vegetables in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting around March 16, online seed stores saw a huge spike in orders for vegetable seeds, as fears emerged that the pandemic could threaten food security. The increase in demand was so dramatic for Wayne Gale and his Canada-based business, Stokes Seeds, that they temporarily closed down their online store for home gardeners, in order to ensure they could fill all of their requests for commercial growers. Gale's business received around 1,000 orders from home gardeners during the weekend before March 16, a period of time it would usually receive around 350 such orders. "And this is not our peak season. Usually, our peak season is the second week of February," Gale says. Ken Wasnock, the CEO of Harris Seeds, says that the majority of his company's new demand has come from urban areas. The company has seen high volumes of sales to neighborhoods in New York City, where historically it hasn't sold much seed. Wasnock says earlier in the spike, a lot of the orders were coming from doomsday preppers, who purchased sprouting kits that don't require natural light. In the weeks since, he's seen an increase in children's gardening products, as parents try to plan activities and projects. Wasnock says that a high percentage of seeds people are buying are organic. Some of the more popular types of vegetable seeds ordered have included squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and beans." Dreams For Your 2020 Garden It's decision time in the garden. What will your projects be this year? Often, we have no idea if our dreams for our gardens will come true. Gardeners may dream bigger dreams than emperors, but we can often get stuck, too. We put plants in the wrong spot. We buy the wrong thing. We spend too much money. We overdo. But, every now and then we get it completely right. I waited for years to put paths in around my front garden. Why did I wait so long? No reason, really. But, once it was in, I knew it was the perfect thing my garden had been missing. Up at the cabin, we had a sprinkler system installed. The soil here is sandy, and without regular watering, the plants would really struggle. After getting some ¼" tubing stubbed up to the deck, I've waited a year to install a kitchen garden on my deck. This spring, that's my big dream. I'll share the elevated bed system I selected and the evolution of this garden in upcoming Episodes. Whatever you're dreaming of and planning for your garden this season, I hope you get it completely right and that your dream comes true. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1528 Today is the anniversary of the death of the German painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer. Dürer's work was extraordinary, and by the time he was in his 20's, he was already quite famous. While he was known for his calm demeanor and introversion, his work conveyed profound emotion. During Dürer's lifetime, explorers were collected exotic plants and bulbs and bringing them home to the Old World, where they caused a sensation. The botanical focus began to shift away from plants as medicine to plants as ornamentation and beauty. Dürer was not immune to the artistic perspective on plants, and his work captured plants with an incredible amount of detail that was unmatched by previous drawings. If you're looking for bunny art, you should check out Dürer's watercolor called Young Hare. It's a beautiful piece, remarkable for its accuracy and realism. One of Dürer's most famous pieces is called The Great Piece of Turf (German: Das große Rasenstück), which he created in 1503. This watercolor shows a grouping of natural plants as Dürer had observed them in nature. There is a grass that has gone to seed, plantain, and dandelion. From a botanical art standpoint, Dürer's Turf is a masterpiece, highly regarded for the realistic depiction of plants living together in community. 1759 Today is the anniversary of the death of Johann Zinn, who died young at the age of 32. Still, Zinn accomplished much in his short life, and he focused on two areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, in his early twenties, Zinn wrote an eye anatomy book and became the first person to describe the anatomy of the Iris in the human eye. There are several parts of the eye named in his honor, including the Zinn zonule, the Zinn membrane, and the Zinn artery. It's fitting that Zinn wrote about the Iris - which of course, is also the name of a flower - and so there's some charming coincidental connection between his two passions of anatomy and botany. In Greek mythology, Iris was a beautiful messenger - a one-woman pony express - between the Olympian gods and humans. Iris was the personification of the rainbow. She had golden wings and would travel along the rainbow carrying messages from the gods to mortals. In the plant world, the Iris is a genus with hundreds of species and is represented by the fleur-de-lis. When Zinn was 26 years old, he became director of the University Botanic Garden in Göttingen (pronounced "Gert-ing-en"). He thought the University was going to put him to work as a professor of anatomy, but that job was filled, and so botany was his second choice. Nonetheless, he threw himself into his work. When Zinn received an envelope of seeds from the German Ambassador to Mexico, he described the blossom in detail, and he published the first botanical illustration of the Zinnia. He also shared the seeds with other botanists throughout Europe. Like most botanists in the 1700s, Zinn corresponded with Linnaeus. No doubt Zinn's work as a bright, young garden Director and the fact that he tragically died young from tuberculosis, spurred Linnaeus to name the flower Zinn received from Mexico in his honor. And so, Zinn lives on in the name Zinnia - a favorite flower of gardeners, and for good reasons: They come in a variety of vivid colors, they can be direct sown into the garden, they attract pollinators like butterflies, and they couldn't be easier to grow. And, if meditation is something you struggle with, you can still become a Zinn Master, if you enjoy growing Zinnias. :) And, I'd like to think Zinn would be pleased to be remembered by the Zinnia because, like the Iris, the Zinnia has a connection to the eyes. We've all heard the phrase beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well... in the case of the Zinnia, the Aztecs were clearly not a fan. In fact, the Aztecs had a word for Zinnia, which basically translated to the evil eye or eyesore. The Aztecs didn't care for the zinnia flower - but don't judge them because it was not the hybridized dazzling version we've grown accustomed to in today's gardens. (You can thank the French for that!) The original plants were weedy-looking with an uninspired, dull purple blossom. This is why the blossom was initially called the crassina, which means "somewhat corse" before Linnaeus changed the name to remember Zinn. Over time, the gradual transformation of zinnias from eyesores to beauties gave Zinnias the common name Cinderella Flower. And here's a little factoid: the Zinnia is Indiana's state flower. I like to imagine when it came time for Indiana legislators to vote in favor of the Zinnia, Zinn was looking down from heaven and smiling as he heard these words: "All in favor of the zinnia, say aye." 1732 Today is the birthday of the Spanish priest, botanist, and mathematician José Celestino Mutis. Recognized as a distinguished botanist in his home country of Spain, Mutis was the architect of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the N. Kingdom of Granada (what is now Columbia) in 1783. For almost 50 years, Mutis worked to collect and illustrate the plants in Colombian lands. Given that he spent most of his lifetime in Colombia, it's not surprising that Mutis was able to leave a lasting legacy. He created an impressive library complete with thousands of books on botany and the natural world. He also built a herbarium with over 24,000 species. At the time, only Joseph Banks had a herbarium that rivaled Mutis, and Banks had more resources and more support from the English government. One of the most important aspects of Mutis' work was studying the Cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis), which became an effective cure for yellow fever or malaria. The Cinchona tree grows in the cloud forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. The Bogota Botanical Garden became Mutis' base of operations, and it was the place where the Cinchona was studied. The bark of the cinchona tree contains quinine, which became the basis for a number of medicines that are used to treat malaria. During Mutis's lifetime, it was thought that Cinchona had the potential to cure all diseases. Naturally, the Spanish crown was highly motivated to develop their understanding of the Cinchona, and they encouraged Mutis to continue to collect and study it. In fact, Mutis used his medical knowledge to establish inoculation as a means of preventing smallpox, and he is credited with one of the first smallpox vaccination campaigns in Colombia in 1782. In addition to his medicinal work, Mutis founded the Bogota Astronomical Observatory and supported the work of Carl Linnaeus. He sent thousands of specimens back to Spain, where they remain at the Madrid Botanical Garden. During his time in Columbia, Mutis collected over 24,000 plant specimens. Mutis approached the job of documenting the flora of Granada in a unique way; he accomplished his mission by enlisting others. He skillfully set up a large studio as a space to get the plants captured through art. During his time in Columbia, Mutis worked with over 40 local Creole artists. He recruited them and trained them. He brought them to the studio where they could work all day long in silence. In short, Mutis set up a botanical production machine that was unsurpassed in terms of the output and the level of excellence for the times. At one point, Mutis had up to twenty artisans working all at one time. One artist would work on the plant habit while another would work on specific aspects or features. The Mutis machine created over 6,500 pieces of art - including botanical sketches and watercolors painted with pigments made from local dyes, which heightened their realism. On the top of the Mutis bucket-list was the dream of a Flora of Bogata. Sadly it never happened. Mutis died in Columbia in 1808. He is buried at the University of Rosario in Santa Fe, Argentina, where he taught as a professor. Eight years after his death, the King of Spain ordered all of the output from the Mutis expedition to be shipped back home. All the work created by the Creole artisans and the entire herbarium were packed into 105 shipping crates and sent to Spain where they sat and sat and sat and waited... until 1952 when a handful was used in a large folio series. Then the Mutis collection waited another 60 years until 2010 when they were finally exhibited at Kew. Today, the thousands of pieces that make up the Mutis collection are housed at the Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain. The pieces are significant - mostly folio size - and since they haven't seen much daylight over the past two centuries, they are in immaculate condition. The old 200 pesos banknote in Colombia bears the portrait of Mutis, and the Bogota Botanical Garden honors the work of Mutis with his name. And, the plant genus Mutisia was created by the son of Carl Linnaeus and is dedicated to José Celestino Mutis along with other flora species, such as Aegiphila mutisi and Duranta mutisii (Verbenaceae), Aetanthus mutisii (Loranthaceae), among others. Unearthed Words Here are some thoughts on spring. The roofs are shining from the rain, The sparrows twitter as they fly, And with a windy April grace The little clouds go by. Yet the back yards are bare and brown With only one unchanging tree-- I could not be so sure of spring Save that it sings in me. — Sara Teasdale, American lyric poet, April If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet & educator "The seasons, like greater tides, ebb, and flow across the continents. Spring advances up the United States at the average rate of about fifteen miles a day. It ascends mountainsides at the rate of about a hundred feet a day. It sweeps ahead like a flood of water, racing down the long valleys, creeping up hillsides in a rising tide. Most of us, like the man who lives on the bank of a river and watches the stream flow by, see only one phase of the movement of spring. Each year the season advances toward us out of the south, sweeps around us, goes flooding away to the north." — Edwin Way Teale, naturalist, and author, North With the Spring Grow That Garden Library Square Foot Gardening Third Edition by Mel Bartholomew In All-New Square Food Gardening, 3rd Edition, the best-selling gardening book in North America is relaunched and updated for the next generation of gardeners and beyond. As you might imagine, Mel's book is very popular right now with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a resurgence in gardening and self-sufficiency. Since Square Foot Gardening was first introduced in 1981, the revolutionary new way to garden developed by Mel Bartholomew has helped millions of home gardeners grow more fresh produce in less space and with less work. Now, based mostly on the input and experience of these millions, the system has been even further refined and improved to fully meet today's changing resources, needs, and challenges. With over 150 new photos and illustrations, this new edition makes it easier than ever to achieve nearly-foolproof results in virtually any situation: 100% of the produce; 20% of the water; 5% of the work. Perfect for experienced Square-Foot-Gardeners or beginners, the original method created by Mel has not changed in any significant way with this new 3rd Edition of All New Square Foot Gardening. It remai…
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the birthday of a Russian Count who funded an expedition that led to the discovery of the California poppy. We'll also learn about one of the country's most beloved naturalists. We celebrate the life of the second woman to be professionally employed as a botanist in the United States. She died 100 years ago today. We also celebrate a nurseryman whose passion for plants was sparked with the gift of a Fuschia. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about rainy, windy April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about a little cottage that you might find inspiring as you spruce up your own nest this season. And then we'll wrap things up with a little poem about trillium - which is also known as Wake Robin. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Gardening for Resilience By Lysa Myers "If you've ever tried to grow a garden, you'll know that your first efforts are seldom as successful as you'd hope. Conditions are seldom ideal, no matter how carefully you plan. You will mess up seemingly simple things; even experts do. However, there are ways to approach gardening that will improve your ability to weather those mistakes. Good soil is crucial Dirt is dirt, right? Sadly, no. If I had it to do over again, I'd have spent that first year amending the heck out of the soil. Choose some plants for quick wins Grab something quick like an herb garden, a planted lettuce bowl, or a strawberry planter from your local gardening center, so you can get those first nibbles right away. There's a psychological factor to getting an immediate reward that will help you be more resilient in the face of inevitable garden setbacks. Look for what grows well in your area Not all plants grow well everywhere. Some of the things that struggle in your climate might surprise you. It certainly did me! Grow plants you love to eat Whatever happens with our current crisis, I hope that more people take up gardening as a means of self-care and... I also hope that if this sort of advice can help make early gardening experiences more enjoyable, more people will take this on as a long-term hobby or lifestyle change rather than a stop-gap measure. I want you to love working with plants as much as I do!" Today's to-do is to add a magnifying glass to your garden tote. The best gardeners throughout our history have looked closely at their plants - often using magnifiers of some fashion. Get up close and personal with your plants and increase your intimacy with your garden by looking at it through the lens of a magnifying glass. Now's the perfect time to add one to your garden tote. As with every garden tool - you won't use it if it's not handy. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1754 Today is the birthday of a man who was the foreign minister of Russia, Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. In 1815, he funded the round the world scientific voyage of the Rurik which included the poet and botanist Adelbert von Chamisso ("Sha-ME-So") and a doctor/surgeon named Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz. Two years later, in 1817, the Rurik ended up in the San Francisco Bay area where it planned to reprovision. During their stay in San Francisco, Chamiso discovered the California poppy, which he named Eschscholzia californica after his friend Johanns Friedrich Von Eschscholzia. In 1903, the botanist Sarah Plummer Lemmon put forth a successful piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. And here's what the botanist Alice Eastwood once said about the poppy: "The Eschscholzia so glows with the sunbeams caught in its chalice that it diffuses light upon the other flowers and the grass. This poppy will not shine unless the sunbeams on it, but folds itself up and goes to sleep." 1837 Today is the birthday of the Naturalist, poet, and philosopher John Burroughs (books by this author) was born on a dairy farm in Roxbury, outside of Boston on this date in 1837. He was sent to the local school, where his desk was next to that of Erie Railroad Robber Baron, Jay Gould (the son of a nearby neighbor). When Burroughs struggled in school, Gould would bail him out. Called "John o' Birds" for his special admiration for birds, Burroughs loved the natural world. One of the four vagabonds (a reference to an annual camping group that included Harvey Firestone, Henry Ford, and Teddy Roosevelt) Burroughs drove a Ford which was an annual present from Henry Ford. John Burroughs wrote about what he knew and loved best: the land around his homes in the Catskills of upstate New York. The area included a stream called "The Pepacton" - today it is known as the "East Branch of the Delaware River". Burroughs was great friends with Walt Whitman (Books by this author) whom he loved dearly. Of Whitman, Burroughs reflected: "[Meeting] Walt was the most important event of my life. I expanded under his influence, because of his fine liberality and humanity on all subjects." Here's a fun fact: Whitman gave Burroughs a little marketing advice on his first book, Wake-Robin. Burroughs recalled "It is difficult to hit upon suitable titles for books. I went to Walt with Wake-Robin and several other names written on paper. '"What does wake-robin mean?" he asked "It's a spring flower,' I replied. "Then that is exactly the name you want." Here's the beginning of "Wake-Robin by John Burroughs" "Spring in our northern climate may fairly be said to extend from the middle of March to the middle of June… It is this period that marks the return of the birds…. Each stage of the advancing season gives prominence to certain species, as to certain flowers. The dandelion tells me when to look for the swallow, the dog-tooth violet when to expect the wood thrush, and when I have found the wake-robin in bloom I know the season is fairly inaugurated. With me this flower is associated, not merely with the awakening of Robin, for he has been awake some weeks, but with the universal awakening and rehabilitation of Nature." Wake-robin is the common name for trillium. Trilliums are in the Lily Family and they carpet the forest floor in springtime. They have a single large, white, long-lasting flower that turns pink as it matures. One last memorable fact about Trilliums. Most of the parts of the plants occur in threes: 3 broad flat leaves, 3 petals to a flower, and three sepals (the part that enclosed the petals, protects them in bud, and supports them in bloom). During Burroughs' time, The Tennessean and other newspapers advertised "English Wake-Robin Pills: the Best Liver and Cathartic Pills in Use!" and they were 25 cents per box. Burroughs died at the age of 84 years - fourteen more than the biblical allotment of man. He was on his way back to the Catskills after undergoing abdominal surgery in California. Burroughs just wanted to see home one more time. Burroughs' nurse and biographer were with him as he made the trip by train. After a restless attempt at sleeping, he asked: "How near home are we?" Told the train was crossing Ohio, Burroughs slumped back and passed away. In 1937, the 100th anniversary of Burrough's birthday celebration was held at Hartwick College in New York. Music was furnished by the college a cappella choir who sang Burrough's favorite song, "Lullaby" by Brahms. Supreme Court Justice Abraham Kellogg presented this tribute: "When the trees begin to leaf and the birds are here when the arbutus, laurel, and wildflowers are blooming and nature is clothing herself with beauty and grandeur, turn ye to your library and in a restful attitude read 'Pepacton' and you will acquaint yourself as never before with John Burroughs, the scientist, the naturalist, the poet, and the philosopher." It was John Burroughs who said, "Most young people find botany a dull study. So it is, as talk from the textbooks in the schools; but study by yourself in the fields and woods, and you will find it a source of perennial delight." 1920 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Kate Brandegee. Kate was the third woman to enroll at Berkely's medical school and the second woman to be professionally employed as a botanist in the US. After getting her MD at Berkley, she found starting a practice too daunting. Thankfully, Kate's passion for botany was ignited during med school. She had learned that plants were the primary sources of medicine, so she dropped the mantle of a physician to pursue botany. Five years later, she was the curator of the San Francisco Academy of Sciences herbarium. While Kate was at the academy, she personally trained Alice Eastwood. Later, when Kate moved on, Alice was ready to take her place - Kate was a phenomenal mentor. During her time at the academy, in surprise development at the age of 40, Kate had "fallen insanely in love" with plantsman Townshend Brandegee. Equally yoked, their honeymoon was a 500-mile nature walk - collecting plant specimens from San Diego to San Francisco. The couple moved to San Diego where they created a herbarium that was praised as a botanical paradise. The collecting trips - often taken together, but sometimes individually, would be their lifelong passion - and they traveled through much of California, Arizona, and Mexico at times using the free railroad passes afforded to botanists. Despite poor health, Kate loved these experiences. In 1908, at the age of 64, she wrote Townshend a letter, "I am going to walk from Placerville to Truckee (52 miles!)" In 1906, when the Berkeley herbarium was destroyed by an earthquake, the Brandegees single-handedly restored it by giving the school their entire botanical library (including many rare volumes) and their plant collection which numbered some 80,000 plants. Thanks to Townshend's inheritance, the couple was financially independent, but they were also exceptionally selfless. The Brandegee's followed their plants and books to Berkley where Townshend and Kate worked the rest of their lives pro bono. Botanist Marcus Jones said of Kate, "She was the one botanist competent to publish a real [book about the native plants of California]." But Kate had delayed writing this work. Kate was 75 when she fell on the University grounds at Berkeley - she broke her shoulder. Three weeks later, she died. 1909 Today is the birthday of Graham Stuart Thomas. GST was fundamentally a nurseryman and he lived a life fully immersed in the garden. His passion was sparked at a young age by a special birthday present he was given when he turned six: a beautiful potted fuchsia. In 2003. his gardening outfit - including his pants, vest, and shoes - as well as a variety of his tools (including plant markers and a watering can) were donated to the Garden Museum. GST was best known for his work with garden roses and his leadership of over 100 National Trust gardens. He wrote 19 books on gardening. Ever the purposeful perfectionist, he never wasted a moment. What do folks have to say about GST on social media? Here's a sampling: Pachysandra ground cover - A GST classic! My mom gave me a Graham Stuart Thomas for my first gardening book, so very special Our best selling plant of 2015? At number 1 (drum roll) - Eryngium Graham Stuart Thomas. Flower spike on yucca in a border. GST used them as punctuation marks in design. Love being married to someone who knows what I mean when I say, "Bring me Graham Stuart Thomas" Unearthed Words April cold with dripping rain Willows and lilacs brings again, The whistle of returning birds, And trumpet-lowing of the herds. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet Oh, how fresh the wind is blowing! See! The sky is bright and clear, Oh, how green the grass is growing! April! April! Are you here? — Dora Hill Read Goodale, American poet and teacher A SENSITIVE PLANT in a garden grew, And the young winds fed it with silver dew, And it opened its fan-like leaves to the light, And closed them beneath the kisses of night. The snowdrop, and then the violet, Arose from the ground with warm rain wet, Then the pied wind-flowers and the tulip tall, And narcissi, the fairest among them all, And the hyacinth, purple and white and blue, Which flung from its bells a sweet peal anew And the jessamine faint, and the sweet tuberose, The sweetest flower for scent that blows; And all rare blossoms from every clime,— Grew in that garden in perfect prime. And the sinuous paths of lawn and of moss, Which led through the garden along and across, Some open at once to the sun and the breeze, Some lost among bowers of blossoming trees, The plumèd insects swift and free, Like golden boats on a sunny sea, Laden with light and odor, which pass Over the gleam of the living grass; And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest." — Percy Bysshe Shelley, English romantic poet, The Sensitive Plant Grow That Garden Library The Bee Cottage by FrancesSchultz The subtitle to this lighthearted book is "How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness" and the book was published in 2015. This book was inspired by Frances's popular House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of her East Hampton house that she calls Bee Cottage. Frances had intended this book to be a decorating book, but it evolved into so much more. It's a memoir combining beautiful photos of Bee Cottage inside and out - and a compelling personal story - Frances's story. This book is perfect for this time of year when we're trying to come up with all kinds of ideas for our home and garden. It's loaded with inspiring images and snapshots. In this book, Frances shared what she learned during all her renovations of Bee Cottage. We get a sneak peek into how she decided each area of the house and garden would be used and furnished. From a personal standpoint, Frances came to discover that, like decorating a home or planting a garden, our Lives must adapt to who we are and what we need along the way. And, I love this little poem that Frances uses to start out her book - along with a picture of one of her garden gates it's got a little bee cut out at the top of it.) The poem goes like this: He who loves an old house Never loves in vain, How can an old house, Used to sun and rain, To lilac and to larkspur, And an elm above, Ever fail to answer The heart that gives it love? Next, Frances shows a picture of her cottage before it became Bee Cottage. " It was a little run-down but it had curb appeal but not much love". And she wrote, "I felt a bit that way myself." And here's the how the story of Bee Cottage starts: "I'd planned to make Bee Cottage the perfect place to begi…
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the discovery and naming of the state of Florida. We'll also learn about one of the best botanical illustrators ever born as well as the man who introduced goldfish to Holland. We celebrate the publication of the first successful agricultural journal. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about trees that was released a year ago today - and it won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. And then we'll wrap things up with the fascinating story of the German artist who found surreal inspiration in the natural world. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage saved for the nation "The success of the campaign will enable Art Fund to purchase Prospect Cottage from the Keith Collins Will Trust and to fund a permanent public program, the conservation and maintenance of the building, its collection, its contents, and its renowned garden. Before Art Fund's appeal, Prospect Cottage had been at risk of being sold privately, its contents dispersed, and artistic legacy lost. Art Fund's director Stephen Deuchar announced today that the appeal to save artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage for the nation has successfully reached its £3.5-million target in just ten weeks, with a final total of £3,624,087. Over 8,100 donations have been made by the public – nearly 2,000 of them in the past week alone, despite the significant changes happening to people's lives - and further funding has come from leading charities, trusts, foundations, and philanthropists. The campaign was supported by major grants of £750,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, £500,000 from Art Fund and £250,000 from the Linbury Trust, as well as significant support from the Luma Foundation, the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, the John Browne Charitable Trust, and the Ampersand Foundation. Tilda Swinton said, 'When Derek initiated the project of making of this little house on the shingle the unique and magically empowering space it has come to be, not only for him but for so many of us, it was at a time of intense uncertainty and fragility in his own life. That our casting the net of our appeal to keep this project alive has coincided with the phenomenal global challenge to the community with which we are currently faced - and that that net has still come in so full of bounty - has only served to prove how invaluable this vision of future is to us all." Goals For Your 2020 Garden What are you curious about in your garden? What are you hoping to learn this season? How will your gardening change during the pandemic? Your greatest accomplishment might be the result you didn't plan to learn. Maybe you've always been a flower gardener, but this year you feel compelled to grow some edibles, and you discover the joy of growing your own garlic. Last year, you grew your own tomatoes to great success and ended up sharing some with neighbors. This year you want to help out the food shelf. Maybe you didn't like pulling weeds for your mom, but now with the pandemic, you suddenly find that tending to the yard is calming and anchoring. Now you want to have a garden of your own. Our gardens are classrooms. And those classrooms are filled with many teachers or Upah Gurus. Upah Guru is the Hindu word for the teacher next to you at any moment. The Upah Gurus in your garden this year might be the seeds you just ordered, a mystery plant that you inherited, the hydrangea that refuses to flower, the rose that won't give up. This year, they say there will be more new gardeners than ever as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. Calling All Gardeners: Share Your Expertise Don't consider yourself an expert? Think again. One of the things that can happen to gardeners is that we can underestimate our own expertise or experience in the garden. But any experience is helpful to a gardener just starting out. To new gardeners, you can be a gardening Upah Guru. New Gardeners Need Encouragement Remind new gardeners that their primary job this year is to simply be a good student of gardening. They don't need to get straight A's in the garden. Let them know that no one is putting that pressure on them to replace the produce section of the grocery store. One of the biggest commitments new gardeners can make is simply to learn more about gardening. Encourage them to focus on the teaching - whether that is from books or podcasts or neighbors - because the teaching is what makes us better gardeners. The Benefits of Gardening go beyond food: physical, mental, spiritual Any gardener knows that being active in the garden is a form of exercise - just like walking, running, or playing basketball. It is legit exercise. As a pastime or a passion, gardening is a return to nature. It is connection with the natural world. It is grounding, and it is centering. It is good for us, physically and emotionally. After Walt Whitman suffered a debilitating stroke, he recovered by spending time in nature. The two years he spent walking the woods were his primary therapy, and he forever credited nature with his recovery. This is why I end every episode with, "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day." It's not just a slogan. I really believe those words. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1513 Juan Ponce de León claims new land for Spain. He names his discovery La Florida; in a nod to the Easter Season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). 1647 Today is the birthday of a female botanical illustration powerhouse - Maria Sibylla Merian. She was born on April 2, 1647. As a frame of reference, Isaac Newton was only a few years older than her. Unlike Newton, Merian's work was largely forgotten. However, over the past century, her work has made its way to us. Merian has the "it" factor. In 2011, Janet Dailey, a retired teacher, and artist from Springfield, Illinois, became so captivated by Merian's life story that she started a Kickstarter campaign to follow Merian's footsteps to the mecca of her best work - Surinam, in South America. In 2013, Merian's birthday was commemorated with a "Google Doodle." Merian would have delighted in our modern-day effort to plant milkweed for the Monarchs. The concept that insects and plants are inextricably bound together was not lost on Merian. In her work, she carefully noted which caterpillars were specialists - meaning they ate only one kind of plant. (You can relate to that concept if your kid only wants to eat Mac and cheese; they aren't picky - they're specialists.) Before all these social media and high tech, drawings like Merian's were a holy grail for plant identification. One look at Merian's work and Linneaus immediately knew it was brilliant. Merian helped classify nearly 100 different species long after she was gone from the earth. To this day, entomologists acknowledge that the accuracy in her art is so good they can identify many of her butterflies and moths right down to the species level! Between 1716 and 1717, during the last year of her life, Merian was visited multiple times by her friend, artist Georg Gsell - and his friend Peter the Great. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for THAT meetup. Gsell ended up marrying Merian's youngest daughter, Dorothea Maria, and Peter the Great ended up with 256 Merian paintings. In fact, Peter the Great so loved these pieces that when Merian died shortly after his last visit, he immediately sent an agent to buy all of her remaining watercolors to bring them home to St. Petersburg. Here's a fun story for you. On the Maria Sibylla Merian Society website, the feature a video that shows writer Redmond O'Hanlon flipping through an original Merian folio (with gloveless hands!) Now O'Hanlon is a scholar and explorer himself. He is known for his journeys to some of the most remote jungles of the world. At one point in the video, he becomes speechless. Then, he just lets out this big sigh and says, "It's so simple. Without the slightest doubt, she is - she was the greatest painter of plants and insects who ever lived... I mean just between you and me, she's the greatest woman who ever lived. You can keep Catherine the Great. Maria Sybilla Merian is the real heroine of our civilized time." 1711 Today is the birthday of the Dutch naturalist and pond-owner-extraordinaire Job Baster. Baster was one of the first Dutch nature researchers to use a microscope to look at flora and fauna. He wrote down his findings in a book. He also wrote an excellent translation of Philip Miller's work on horticulture. In 1758, Baster was given a beautiful property loaded trees and two large ponds. He called it Zonnehof (Sunshine Farms). As a new pond owner, Baster decided to try his hand at breeding Goldfish. A versatile scientist, Baster exchanged letters with leading biologists of his time, and the first twelve fish arrive thanks to a contact in England. Unfortunately, all the goldfish die. The following year, Baster gets eighteen more fish. Two die, but the rest survive. Thirteen years later, Baster owned more than a thousand goldfish. When Baster died, an inventory of his estate showed that all of his goldfish had been sold - raising over seven hundred guilders (not a small amount at the time). That's Job Baster, the man who introduced goldfish to the Dutch. Baster also drew goldfish and then hand-colored the images. I've seen these images, and I'm telling you they have that iridescence that makes them look like someone just laid out real goldfish on the page - they are that life-like after all this time. Baster had a large collection of shells. At the time, adhering shells to furniture was a fad in Europe. Baster took the fad and ran with it, covering a buffet with European and Tropical shells. At the bottom of the buffet are the coat of arms of Baster (jumping greyhound) and his wife Jacoba Vink (climbing lion) - all made out of shells. After seeing the Baster buffet at the Royal Zeeland Society of Sciences, one sightseer commented, "one can almost hear Baster's wife, who donated the piece to the museum after his death, saying, "Job, will you do something with all those shells!" To honor Baster's work with mollusks, there is a floating snail named for Baster, and the Dutch Malacological Association's scientific journal "Basteria" is a nod to this versatile explorer of the natural world. 1819 Today the first successful agricultural journal, American Farmer, was published in Baltimore. Unearthed Words Here are some poignant words about this time of year. April comes like an idiot, babbling, and strewing flowers. — Edna St. Vincent Millay, American lyrical poet, and playwright A gush of bird-song, a patter of dew, A cloud, and a rainbow's warning, Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue– An April day in the morning. ― Harriet Prescott Spofford, American writer Tis spring-time on the eastern hills! Like torrents gush the summer rills; Through winter's moss and dry dead leaves The bladed grass revives and lives, Pushes the moldering waste away, And glimpses to the April day. — John Greenleaf Whittier, American Quaker poet Three things a wise man will not trust, The wind, the sunshine of an April day, And woman's plighted faith. — Robert Southey, English poet The children with the streamlets sing, When April stops at last her weeping; And every happy growing thing Laughs like a babe just roused from sleeping. — Lucy Larcom, American teacher, author, and poet She waits for me, my lady Earth, Smiles and waits and Sighs ; I'll say her nay and hideaway, Then take her by surprise. — Mary Mapes Dodge, American children's author Oh, the lovely fickleness of an April day. — William Hamilton Gibson, American illustrator, author, and naturalist Grow That Garden Library The Overstory by Richard Powers It's hard to believe that this book was published on this day already a year ago in 2019. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. It's a New York Times bestseller. The author Ann Patchett said, "The best novel ever written about trees, and really just one of the best novels, period." The book is 512 pages of stories or more precisely fables - all told with trees in mind. This is Richard's 12th novel, and in it, we learn about trees and their world - that is just as big as ours - just as interconnected and creative and responsive and powerful. Yet many of us are oblivious to trees and what they have to tell us about the world we share together. You can get a used copy of The Overstory by Richard Powers and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $14. Today's Botanic Spark 1891 Today is the birthday of the German Dadaist & Surrealist Max Ernst. He sketched the gardens at Bruhl castle - the castle in his home town. In fact, some of his most beautiful works involved flowers, forests, suns, birds, and gardens. Max had no formal training. Yet, he created a technique called Frottage or texture rubbings or rubbing on paper - and he used plants or the texture of wood planks and other items in the house to create some wonderful artwork. He also created grattage or scraping paint across the canvas to reveal the imprints of the objects placed beneath it. At one point in his life, he lived with the surrealist painter Leonara Carrington who once reflected on their relationship with the natural world. Gardeners will be able to relate to the Max and Leonara drawing Inspiration from the garden in the early morning: "We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves." Ernst once remarked: "Art has nothing to do with taste. Art is not there to be tasted." Ernst was not comfortable with his fame. He once lamented, "He, who would rather have a single wild strawberry, than all the laurels in the world."
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the one year anniversary of the show and the man who wrote a flora of the Middle East. We'll learn about the German botanist who discovered mitosis and chloroplasts. We celebrate the 93rd birthday of an English-Australian gardener who learned to garden and survived during World War II. We'll honor the tremendous work of Kenya's garden activist and founder of the Green Belt Movement. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that was released 16 years ago today. And then, we'll wrap things up with the fascinating story of a whiskey baron who used his wealth to create an arboretum that is home to America's largest collection of Holly trees. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners Around the World and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings Well, it's hard to believe that the show is already a year old. I started the show on April 1st because this month's name came from the Latin word aperio, meaning "to open [bud]," - so it was the perfect time to start something new. Plants outside and in are really beginning to grow now. Daisy and Sweet Pea are this month's birth flowers. To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News In chaotic times, gardening becomes therapy | Cleveland.com "As spring's arrival in the Northern Hemisphere coincides with government stay-at-home orders, the itch to get outside has turned backyard gardens into a getaway for the mind in chaotic times. Gardeners who already know that working with soil is a way to connect with nature say it helps take away their worries, at least temporarily. "I love to see things grow," Lindsay Waldrop said. "It's incredibly therapeutic." Families, too, are discovering that gardening gives cooped-up kids something to do, builds their self-esteem and brings variety to what has suddenly become a lot of time spent together. This home-grown attitude goes back to World War II when millions of people cultivated victory gardens to protect against potential food shortages while boosting patriotism and morale. Hollie Niblett, who lives near Kansas City, Kansas, hopes the victory gardens come back. Niblett, who has a degree in horticultural therapy, tends to a kitchen garden near her backdoor, perennial flowers, flowering trees and shrubs, and upper and lower grassy yards connected by a path through an area left in its natural condition. "There are so many things about it that feed my soul," she said. "Right now, more than anything, my garden gives me hope, gives me purpose, and provides a sense of connection to something bigger than myself." 811 - Call Before You Dig - And, right now - Don't.
Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1838 Today is the birthday of George Edward Post. We remember George because he wrote a Flora of the Middle East. Westerners were delighted because, for the first time, it was written in English, and they could understand it. George botanized in Syria, which is where he lived most of his life. He was in Syria, serving as a missionary and doctor. In his spare time, he would be off collecting plants and working on his Flora. George was a man who had tremendous energy and stamina. He worked long hours, and many colleagues acknowledged that he accomplished more than most folks in a 24-hour period. In his personal life, it turns out that George had the ability to fall asleep quickly, which no doubt helped him recharge on-demand and as needed. One account of George's tremendous lust for life and for plant collecting relayed that he would go off into the mountains on horseback. The story goes that George was such a good horseman, he could collect specimens without getting off his horse. He was allegedly able to lean below his saddle and reach way down to cut and collect a specimen. Then, he'd just sit back up and go on his way. At the end of his life, George was aware that his body was worn out, and he said something to that effect in the days before he died. Around that same time, he received a visitor who knew just how to revive his spirits. The guest placed a few pieces of ripe wheat in his hand as a symbol of the harvest and of the specimens George had spent a lifetime studying. It also served as a reminder of the treasured bible passage: "To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." 1805 Today is the birthday of the German botanist Hugo von Mohl. The greatest "botanist of his day," it said in one newspaper. A German botanist, he was the first to propose that new cells are formed by cell division. Mitosis was discovered by Hugo von Mohl. And, in 1837, he discovered chloroplasts - something von Mohl called Chlorophyllkörnen, which translates to "a grain a chlorophyll." Forty-seven years later, the Polish-German botanist Eduard Strasburger shortened the term Chlorophyllkörnen to Chloroplast. Von Mohl described chloroplasts as discrete bodies within the green plant cell. Today we know that chloroplasts are the food producers of the cell. Chloroplasts are only found in plant cells, and they convert light energy from the sun into sugar; so without chloroplasts, there would be no photosynthesis. In 1846, von Mohl described the sap in plant cells as "the living substance of the cell," and he also created the word "protoplasm." 1927 Today is the 93rd birthday of English-born Australian horticulturalist, conservationist, author, broadcaster, and television personality Peter Cundall. A Tasmanian gardener, Peter was the friendly host of the long-running TV show Gardening Australia - one of the first shows committed to 100% organic practices and practical advice. Peter inspired both young and old to the garden. In his epic "lemon tree episode," Peter got a little carried away and essentially finished pruning when the tree was little more than a stump. Thereafter, Cundallisation was synonymous with over-pruning. Peter learned to garden as a little boy. His first garden was a vegetable patch on top of an air raid shelter in Manchester, England. His family was impoverished. His father was an abusive alcoholic. Two of his siblings died of malnutrition. Through it all, the garden brought stability, nourishment, and reprieve. Of that time, Peter's recalls, "Lying in bed in the morning waiting for it to be light, so I could go out and get going in my garden. I used to think there was some gas given out by the soil that produced happiness." 1940 Today is the birthday of the Kenyan ecologist and first female Kenyan Ph.D. and professor Wangari Maathai ("One-Garry" - rhymes with starry - "Ma-TH-EYE") Wangari was the founder of the Green Belt Movement. She fought for environmental protection and women's empowerment by working with communities to plant "green belts" of trees. Today, the Green Belt Movement has planted "over 45 million trees across Kenya to combat deforestation, stop soil erosion, and generate income for women and their families." In 2004, Wangari became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee recognized "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace." Wangari authored four books: The Green Belt Movement, Unbowed: A Memoir; The Challenge for Africa; and Replenishing the Earth. Wangari died from ovarian cancer in 2011 at the age of 71. Wangari said, "We think that diamonds are very important, gold is very important, all these minerals are very important. We call them precious minerals, but they are all forms of the soil. But that part of this mineral that is on top, like it is the skin of the earth, that is the most precious of the commons." "Using trees as a symbol of peace is in keeping with a widespread African tradition. For example, the elders of the Kikuyu carried a staff from the thigi tree that, when placed between two disputing sides, caused them to stop fighting and seek reconciliation. Many communities in Africa have these traditions." "When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope." Unearthed Words Here are some poignant words about this time of year. The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. — Mark Twain, American writer & humorist "The first of April, some do say, Is set apart for All Fools' Day. But why the people call it so, Nor I, nor they themselves do know. But on this day are people sent On purpose for pure merriment." — Poor Robin's Almanac, 1790 The April winds are magical, And thrill our tuneful frames; The garden walks are passional To bachelors and dames." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet Men are April when they woo, December when they wed; Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives. — Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act IV Scene 1 "[W] ell-apparell'd April on the heel Of limping winter treads…" — Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 2 Grow That Garden Library On the Wild Side by Keith Wiley It's hard to believe that this book was published on this day already sixteen years ago in 2004. The subtitle to this book is "Experiments in the New Naturalism." Keith created his own wild garden in the early 2000s after being inspired by rural England. He also discovered an entire world of influence as he studied New England roadsides, the Colorado Rockies, Swiss Alpine Meadows, and the South African savannas. In this book, Keith strives to capture "only the spirit of wild plantings and never attempt to replicate exactly any landscape or combination of plants." Keith has learned to focus on form, color, and placement of plants. His attention to detail is what makes his approach work so well. Keith was an early advocate of grouping plants into plant communities. He loves it when plants self-seed - especially when they create beauty in unanticipated ways. Keith's book shares many of his favorite plants and plant groupings. He offers tons of advice and ideas for gardens. in this book, he's hoping to inspire us to get creative, "freeing your own creative inner spirit from the straitjacket of horticultural tradition." You can get a used copy of On the Wild Side by Keith Wiley and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $8. Today's Botanic Spark 1945 Today is the anniversary of the death of American businessman Isaac Wolfe Bernheim. Bernheim made a fortune selling and distilling whiskey - and in turn, he used some of his wealth to create the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. In 1931, the Frederick Law Olmsted firm was asked to design the park. They created roadways, paths, and natural areas, planted trees, and turned the farmland back into meadows, lawns, and forest. Sparing no expense, Bernheim provided the capital to add lakes, rivers, and ponds for "an enlivening effect." Nineteen years later, in 1950, the Bernheim Forest officially opened and was ultimately given to the people of Kentucky in trust. Bernheim is the largest privately-owned natural area in Kentucky. Today, the arboretum's holly collection is among the best in North America, with more than 700 specimens representing over 350 individual species and cultivars. Love is like the wild rose-brier; Friendship like the holly tree. The holly is dark when the rose-brier blooms, But which will bloom most constantly? — Emily Brontë, author The holly collection features 176 American Holly (Ilex opaca), 44 Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata), over 50 deciduous hollies (Ilex decidua, Ilex verticillata, Ilex serrata, and hybrids), and 19 cultivars of Inkberry (Ilex glabra) - as well as many specialty hybrids. The arboretum is also home to maples, crab apples, conifers (including dwarf conifers), oaks, buckeyes, ginkgoes, ornamental pears and dogwoods. There is also a sun and shade trail, a quiet garden, and a garden pavilion. By 1994, the State of Kentucky made Bernheim the state's official arboretum. A true visionary, Bernheim wrote that "nothing is static in this world." He appreciated that the natural world was constantly going through continuous change. He believed that people needed to spend time connecting with nature. In August of 1939, Bernheim set up some conditions for his forest in a letter to the trustees, and he proposed the following rules for the forest: No discussion of religion or politics, no trading or trafficking. . . No distinction will be shown between rich or poor, white or colored. My vision embraces an edifice, beautiful in design,... It may be made of marble or of native stone. . . . Within it, there will be an art gallery . . . . Therein there will be busts in bronze of men and women whose names have risen to places of distinctive honor in Kentucky. A museum of natural history containing specimens of every animal … of this hemisphere... . . . a tall steel pole … will float the American Flag… [and] children… will be told the story of liberty. To all, I send the invitation to come . . . to re-create their lives in the enjoyment of nature . . . in the park which I have dedicated ... and which I hope will be kept forever free.
Today we celebrate the man who invented the cottonseed huller. We'll learn about a Canadian legal eagle who loved gardening and one of Oregon's pioneer botanists. We'll celebrate the work of a female biochemist who made some remarkable discoveries about bloom color by studying snapdragons. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about March. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that was released 11 years ago today. And then we'll wrap things up with the fascinating story of a garden activist who was teaching gardening on this day in NYC two years ago. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Starting Seeds: Use What You Have - Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Jonah Holland "If you have seeds that are less than three years old, at least some of them should be viable. You could also use avocado seeds, citrus seeds, seeds from dates. You could try anything you happen to have — peppers, squash, beans, or maybe even pineapple! Mail ordering seeds is another option. We asked our horticulturist some of their favorite seed sources, and here are a few of our favorites: Johnny's Select Seeds, White Flower Farm, Peace Tree Farm and Prairie Moon Nursery. You might even have a really fun time exploring the Seed Saver Exchange." My COVID-19 Renee's Garden Seed Order for the Cabin I share the seeds I ordered after planning to ride out the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic at the cabin. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1814 Today the inventor and agricultural pioneer John Lineback received a patent for the first cottonseed hulling machine. He was based in Salem, North Carolina. Today, cottonseed hullers are known as disc hullers, and they not only dehull oilseed shells like cottonseed and peanuts, but they also crush oilseeds such as soybeans. Cotton is neither a fruit or a vegetable. The fibers of the cotton plant are made of cellulose. The seed of the cotton plant attaches to the fibers after emerging from the fruit. After maturing and left to its own devices, the cotton plant seed would simply blow off the plant in the wind - which is how the plant would get distributed. Cotton seeds are exactly what you might deduce: the seeds of the cotton plant. They are egg-shaped and are 3.5-10 mm long. The Latin name for the Cotton Plant is Gossypium ("Gah-SIP-EE-UM), and the seeds are richly covered with white or rusty-colored, long, woolly hairs, called lint. It is actually the lint on the outer part of the seed that is the main product used to make cotton textiles. Lineback's machine dehulled the seeds. The hulls are the outer coverings of cotton seeds. Dehulling makes it possible to extract cottonseed oil from the seeds. The process of dehulling is pretty straight forward: after removing the lint, the hull is removed from the kernel by screening. Cottonseed hulls are fibrous, and they also get used and incorporated into food for livestock like cattle and sheep. There's one final note about whole cottonseed worth mentioning: Cottonseed is toxic to humans and most animals. 1840 Today is the birthday of William Ralph Meredith. Meredith was a Chief Justice in Ontario, and he's remembered as the founding father of workers' compensation in Ontario. His work helped shape worker's compensation for the rest of Canada and the United States. his principals regarding workers' compensation became known as the Meredith principles. The Meredith Principles allowed that workers would give up their right to sue employers in exchange for income security if they were injured at work. In turn, employers would receive business loss protection while paying for the system. Meredith came from a large family in Westminster Township in Upper Canada with eight sons and four daughters. William was the oldest boy, and all the men in the family became quite successful in the legal community. The Meredith brothers were known as 'The Eight London Merediths' - a reference to the family's London Ontario homeplace. London is just north of Lake Erie and the U.S. border. As Chief Justice, Meredith was known among his legal colleagues simply as "The Chief." And, on more than one occasion, Meredith found himself presiding over cases where the lawyers for the accused and the defense were two of his own brothers - Richard and Edmund, who was regarded as the area's top criminal attorney. All of the Meredith brothers enjoyed gardening, and Meredith was no exception. Meredith gardened on his large estate in Rosedale, Ontario, at 41 Binscarth Rd. In 1913, a Toronto newspaper ran a delightful story about Meredith, and it ended with his love of gardening, writing: "Despite his seventy-three years, Sir William is still a fine and handsome man. His favorite pastime is gardening and on his beautiful grounds in Rosedale, he spends much of his spare time. Donning a straw hat and gloves, he delights in moving about among his plants and bushes, weeding and clipping, or else to dig out dandelion roots from his lawn." 1867 Today is the birthday of an important pioneering Oregon botanist Elmer Ivan Applegate. Elmer was born near Ashland. His grandfather, Lindsey Applegate, was a wagon train leader, and he led many settlers to Oregon during the "Great Migration" of 1843. Elmer was the oldest in his family of six children. He grew up on a 5,000-acre ranch where he mastered the demands of ranch life, and it was on the ranch that Elmer discovered his love for botany. In 1895, Elmer graduated from Stanford, and after graduating, he spent time with the USDA's Frederick Colville - the botanist who, along with Elizabeth Coleman White, helped tame the wild blueberry. As one of the most prominent Oregon botanists of the 20th century, Elmer's signature work focused on trout lilies (Erythronium) "AIR-ah-THROW-KNEE-um." The trout lily is a native plant featuring nodding, freckled, yellow flowers that bloom in early spring in woodlands and on north-facing slopes. Trout lilies bloom in spring from March to May. As a spring ephemeral, they often bloom before the trees leaf out, and once the forest canopy fluffs out, the trout lily bloom disappears. At the base of the trout, lily are these mottled brown and green leaves, which inspired the name of the plant because they look like the markings on brook trout. Those spots have also inspired the name fawn lily. Trout lily is also known by common names like the dogtooth violet or the adder's tongue. The dogtooth name refers to the tuber of the trout lily which is underground. The tuber looks like a smooth, white fang. The adder's tongue refers to the curled, serpent-like, pointed leaf-tips, and the six stamens with anthers that look like fangs. Here are some fun facts about the trout lily: Trout lilies are short; they grow 6 to 8 inches tall. Young plants have only one leaf, but mature plants sport two leaves. In fact, until that second leaf appears, the plant cannot flower. Trout lily colonies are very long-lived, and some are 200 to 300 years old. Trout lily leaves and bulbs have been used for medicinal purposes, such as contraception. Mary Oliver wrote a poem called Trout Lilies: It happened I couldn't find in all my books more than a picture and a few words concerning the trout lily, so I shut my eyes, And let the darkness come in and roll me back. The old creek began to sing in my ears as it rolled along, like the hair of spring, and the young girl I used to be heard it also, as she came swinging into the woods, truant from everything as usual except for the clear globe of the day, and its beautiful details. Then she stopped, where the first trout lilies of the year had sprung from the ground with their spotted bodies and their six-antlered bright faces, and their many red tongues. If she spoke to them, I don't remember what she said, and if they kindly answered, it's a gift that can't be broken by giving it away. All I know is, there was a light that lingered, for hours, under her eyelids - that made a difference when she went back to a difficult house, at the end of the day. 1880 Today is the birthday of the biochemist Muriel Wheldale Onslow who researched flower color inheritance and pigment molecule biochemistry. Muriel was born in England and ended up marrying a fellow biochemist named Victor Onslow. Victor was actually the son of royalty - his dad was the fourth Earl of Onslow. Muriel and Victor's story is special. When Victor was a student at Cambridge, he became paralyzed from the waist down after diving off a cliff into a lake. The accident also left him with limited use of his arms and hands. Even though Victor and Muriel were married for only a little over three years before Victor's untimely death, their love was a story of mutual admiration and respect. When Muriel recorded her memoir of Victor, she wrote that he was a man of amazing courage and mental vitality; and that he was an inspiration to their peers in biochemistry. Early in her career, in 1903, Muriel became part of its genetics group working at Cambridge University, and it was here that she began studying flower petal color. Much of her research specifically focused on snapdragons which come in a range of flower colors including green, red, orange, yellow, white, purple, and pink - and now even bicolor and speckled. Muriel's work on coloration gained her worldwide recognition by 1910 she had published a whopping four papers on color inheritance in snapdragons. Snapdragons or Antirrhinum majus ("ant-er-EYE-num MAY-jus") are a beloved cottage garden flower. It's a cousin to the foxglove. Snapdragons are happiest when planted early, in cool weather. They will bloom their hearts out all summer long. Then, if you cut them back in August, you will get a second flush of color in the fall. And here are a few final notes about Muriel Whelan Onslow. Muriel was multi-talented. In addition to her scientific work, she was also an artist. Her Botanical illustrations are actually quite good, and she was often regarded as a top botanical artist among her scientific colleagues. As one of the few female scientists of her time, there are just a handful of fantastic online images of Muriel working in her laboratory. They are a must-see if you get the chance. And you might recall that a decade ago in 2010, the Royal Institution in England put on a play called blooming snapdragons. The play was about for female biochemist of the early 20th century. Naturally, one of them was Muriel Onslow. Unearthed Words Here are some poignant words about this time of year. This first poem was shared on this day in 1859. Come to the woods, where flowers bloom, The violet peeps beneath each tree, And on the wintry slope bestirs The silver-leafed Anemone. The yellow Cowslip decks the pool, And early Crowfoot lifts its shining head, The star-eyed Liverleaf looks forth From out its green and mossy bed. Lichnidia tall and Draba pure And Erythronium appear, Claytonia comes with penciled brow, The first of all the pleasant year. Wake-robin nods its snowy crest, The Blue-Bells pale, Collinsia rare, The tiny Ground Nut, Squirrel Corn, All the joyous welcome give and share. I then to nature's palace grand, All purple, yellow, green, and gold; Leaf-music, bird-songs, fill the air, The summer days, their revel hold. — Lydia A Tompkins, Come to the Woods "Indoors or out, no one relaxes in March, that month of wind and taxes; the wind will presently disappear, the taxes last us all the year." — Ogden Nash, American poet March! March! March! They are coming In troops to the tune of the wind. Redheaded woodpeckers drumming, Gold - crested thrushes behind; Sparrows in brown jackets, hopping Past every gateway and door; Finches, with crimson caps, stopping Just where they stopped before. March! March! March! They are slipping Into their places at last. . . Little white lily buds, dripping Under the showers that fall fast; Buttercups, violets, roses; Snowdrop and bluebell and pink, Throng upon throng of sweet posies Bending the dewdrops to drink. March! March! March! They will hurry Forth at the wild bugle sound, Blossoms and birds in a flurry, Fluttering all over the ground. Shake out your flags, birch, and willow! Shake out your red tassels, larch! Grass blades, up from your earth - pillow. Hear who is calling you. . . March. — Lucy Larcom, American teacher, poet, and author, March Grow That Garden Library Life List by Olivia Gentile It's hard to believe that this book was published on this day already eleven years ago in 2009. The subtitle to this book is "A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds." This book is a loving and beautiful biography of bird enthusiasts Phoebe Snetsinger. Phoebe was a 1950's housewife, married with four children, and an avid bird-watcher. When she got diagnosed in her 40's with incurable cancer and given less than a year to live, she started traveling the world, birding, and she never looked back. Phoebe ended up living, after her diagnosis, for another 18 years. Oliva begins this book by explaining the concept of a life list: "Bird-watching, the way most people do it, is a lot like hunting, which is why some practitioners prefer the more active sounding term "birding": you have to know where and when to look for Birds, you have to chase them down, and, when you find them, you have to figure out what species they are— often in just a second or two, before they fly away. Tate, like most birders, kept a "life list" of all the species he'd seen and identified, and he was always looking to add new ones, or "life birds." Olivia continues: "I decided to write some sort of essay on bird watching, and I called a few bird clubs near my home in Manhattan to see what they had going on. One man misunderstood and thought I was interested in joining his Club. He tried to encourage me. "Who knows?" he said. "Maybe you'll be the next Phoebe Snetsinger." the man had never met Phoebe, but he knew all about her— as most birdwatchers do, it turned out— and he told me a little. That was back in 2001, two years after her death, and I've been piecing together her life ever since." You can get a used copy of Life List by Olivia Gentile and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $3. Today's Botanic Spark On this day in 2018, garden activist Karen Washington was giving a talk in New York City to help spur on the community garden movement. The theme was peace and justice. Washington has done so much for the Bronx as an Urban Gardener. She's an award-winning gardener, farmer, and co-owner of her business called Rise and Shoot Farm. It was Karen Washington who said, "If you come into the garden feeling sad, you will leave feeling happy."
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the man who introduced tulips to Holland and the botanist who was supposed to become Carl Linnaeus's son-in-law — but didn't. We'll also learn about the botanist who loved New Brunswick. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about winter - and bees in winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps you recognize elements of good garden design. I'll talk about a garden item in high demand this time of year. And then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of a distinguished gardener and garden writer - and she backfilled Vita Sackville-West as the garden columnist for The Observer. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles How to Make a Teepee for Your Climbing Beans | Mother Earth News "Use a garbage can lid, position canes at 12, 3, 6 & 9 o'clock, then fill in between. Then tie a string to the canes, near the top. Repeat for each cane until they're all secured." Dan Gill: Protect mature trees from damage during construction projects | Home/Garden | nola.com Here's a Great Post from Dan Gill: "The root system of trees is much shallower than most people imagine. The overwhelming majority of a tree's feeder roots (the roots that absorb water and mineral from the soil for the tree) are located in the upper 12 inches of soil. You can see this when a tree blows over, and the exposed root system is shallow and flat like a plate. This makes the root system far more prone to damage during construction than most people realize." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1526 Today is the birthday of the Flemish botanist and founder of the Botanical Garden at Leiden, Charles de l'Écluse ("day-lay-clues"). Charles was an important 16th-century horticulturalist who, like many scientists of his time, translated his name into Latin, and was also known as Carolus Clusius. Clusius is remembered as the botanist who introduced tulips to Holland. Around 1560, Clusius wrote that the first tulips appeared in Antwerp & Mechelen ("MEK-lin"). A merchant had gotten a hold of some, and, assuming they were a new kind of onion, he ate a few of the bulbs and then planted the rest. To his surprise, the onions grew into the beautiful blooms we know today as tulips. In 1593, after a trip to Turkey, Clusius finally obtained some tulips for himself from the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman. Clusius planted them at his botanical garden at the University of Leiden in Holland. Hoping to study their medicinal properties, he was stunned when neighbors crept his garden, stole the bulbs, sold them for ridiculous sums, and launched the Dutch tulip trade. Within decades, Leiden's tulips gave rise to the Tulipmania that still fascinates garden historians to this day. Today, the tulip has become a national icon of Holland. And, one of the best places to see tulips is at the Keukenhof("GO-KEN-hof") in Lisse ("LISS-ah"), and the best time is generally about halfway through April. Not surprisingly, Clusius wrote the first major book on tulips. And, Clusius also left his mark on many flowering bulbs. He named the popular Portuguese squill, Scilla peruviana, after a ship christened 'Peru' and not Peru the country. And, Clusius planted the first Crown Imperial. One of his last major written works was a flora of Spain and Portugal that featured 233 botanical woodcuts. It was published in 1576. The tropical genus Clusia was named by Carl Linnaeus to honor Charles de l'Écluse. 1773 Today is the birthday of the Swedish-English botanist and star pupil of Carl Linnaeus, Daniel Solander. More than his protégé, Linnaeus had hopes that Solander might become a future son-in-law. From there, Linnaeus hoped he had found his successor as Professor of Botany at Uppsala. Linnaeus had a daughter named Lisa Stina. Although Solander had fallen for her, Linnaeus lined up an opportunity for Solander to be the chair of botany at St Petersburg in Russia. Linnaeus was putting Solander through the same gauntlet he had experienced before getting married: go out and establish yourself, and then come back here and settle down. Solander took Linnaeus completely aback when he wrote that he would be staying in England. Solander's letters to Linnaeus became less frequent, and Lisa Stina ended up unhappily married to a grandson of Rudbeck - the family name, after which Rudbeckia or Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are named. Although Solander dashed Linnaeus's hopes, he became a champion of botanical exploration and left his own considerable mark in the field of botany. After some time in London, Solander met Joseph Banks at the British Museum, where he was working as an Assistant Librarian. The two decided to partner-up in Captain James Cook's first circumnavigation of the globe. People often assume that Solander was younger than Banks since he was Bank's assistant. In truth, Banks was seven years younger than Solander. When the Endeavour sailed from Plymouth on August 25, 1768, Banks was 25 and Solander 32. The two botanists worked well together. Together, they collected some 800 new plants. Captain Cook honored the two men by christening Botany Bay after 'the great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found in this place.' The outer ends of the bay are Cape Solander in the southwest and Cape Bank in the Northeast. From Botany Bay alone, Solander and Banks found Acacias (uh-KAY-shahs), Eucalyptus, Grevilleas ("gruh-VILL-ee-ah"), Mimosa, and Banksia (which was, of course, named after Joseph Banks). Unlike many botanists of his time, during his three-year trip around the world, Solander did not send a single one of his discovered specimens to Linnaeus. Solander's sole devotion was to Banks. As for Linnaeus, he could often be heard referring to Solander - the pupil that got away - as "the ungrateful Solander." When the Endeavor returned to England, most people forget that half of the original crew - some 32 people - had died on the historic voyage. Miraculously, both Solander and Banks survived, and they would go on to explore Iceland together on another voyage. At home in England, Solander became Banks' secretary and librarian. In 1780, Solander agreed to help the Duchess of Portland with her enormous collections. Sadly, his work was cut short when he died from a brain aneurysm in 1782 at the age of 46. 1864 Today is the birthday of the first professor of botany at Smith College, William Francis Ganong ("GAH-nong"). Ganong's family were famous chocolate-makers. In fact, today, Ganong Chocolate is Canada's oldest independently family-operated chocolate company. Of course, William was supposed to follow in their footsteps, but he instead lost his heart to natural sciences like botany, history, and cartography. Today, the Ganong name is synonymous with the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It's not only where the chocolate company is located, but it's also where Ganong did the majority of his work. Every year, for fifty years, during the summer months, Ganong would return to New Brunswick to conduct his research In 2016, historian Ronald Rees, a retired professor, wrote a biography of Ganong. The following year, Ganong was honored for his contributions to the history and geography of New Brunswick. A statue of Ganong was erected on the banks of the St. Croix river - a place he especially loved. The statue's creator remarked, "He'll be looking up the St. Croix River, which is quite appropriate." Unearthed Words Here are some words about winter and also, Bees in Winter. "When I was young, I loved summer and hated winter. When I got older, I loved winter and hated summer. Now that I'm even older and wiser, I hate both summer and winter." — Jarod Kintz, American Author, This Book is Not for Sale "It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. " — John Burroughs, American Naturalist and Writer "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." — Hal Borland, American Naturalist and Writer Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer when they complained about the heat. — Anonymous "The queen bee alone survives. You never see her playing the vagabond in the fall. At least I never have. She hunts out a retreat in the ground and passes the winter there, doubtless in a torpid state, as she stores no food against the inclement season. " — John Burroughs, American Naturalist and Writer Seeing only what is fair, Sipping only what is sweet, Thou dost mock at fate and care, Leave the chaff and take the wheat, When the fierce northwestern blast Cools sea and land so far and fast, Thou already slumberest deep — Woe and want thou canst out-sleep — Want and woe which torture us, Thy sleep makes ridiculous. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet and Writer, The Humble Bee Grow That Garden Library Gardens in Detail by Emma Reuss The subtitle of this book is 100 Contemporary Designs. Do you ever wish you had an expert who could help you analyze the elements of a successful garden? Well, in this book, Emma Reuss is that person. Emma quickly defines the seven principals that make gardens go from meh to wow: Location: the spirit of a place Unity: using themes to unite components Simplicity: a fixed amount of complexity - a limited palette - to keep small spaces interesting and large places manageable Balance: garden elements should have the same visual weight Proportion: the scale of elements Rhythm & Repetition: re-introducing elements to promote even more unity Focal points: to enhance views and encourage people to move through the garden Each of the gardens featured in the book is reviewed over four pages, which offer photos, general information, a brief essay, highlighted elements, and a bulleted list of successful design elements. If you're the kind of gardener who draws Inspiration from garden images or garden tours, this book is for you. More than anything, Emma's book is an idea book - a banquet of successfully designed gardens and unique garden elements to inspire you to dream bigger dreams than emperors - as the saying goes about the plans of gardeners. This book came out in 2014. You can get a used copy of Gardens in Detail by Emma Reuss and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $15. Great Gifts for Gardeners Gardman R687 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse, 27" Long x 18" Wide x 63" High $37.86 Amazon Choice & Amazon Prime. Lightweight and easy to assemble, no tools are required. Waterproof, bug resistant, and portable Clear, removable, polyethylene cover and roll-up zippered door for easy access 4-tiers for plants, flowers, seedlings Ideal for small backyards or homes where space is an issue; place on a deck, patio, or balcony Gives seeds, seedlings, and young plants an early start Clear polyethylene cover and roll-up zippered door for easy access and provides easy access with humidity control by merely opening/closing the zippered front flap. For additional security, a zip tie can be attached from the frame to the shelves, and there are tabs on the back to fasten it to a wall or patio railing. Strong push fit tubular steel frame assembles in minutes without any tools Enrich your Greenhouse by adding a combination of grow lights, thermometer/hygrometer, heating mats, fans, etc. Replacement cover (sold separately) for this Greenhouse is Gardman item #R687SC. Gardman "Bring your garden to life." 27" Long x 18" Wide x 63" High Today's Botanic Spark 1907 Today is the birthday of the distinguished gardener and writer Frances Perry. Born Frances Mary Everett, her mother, Isabella, took a ten-year-old Francie to see the Chelsea flower show. The experience was etched in her mind and instilled a love for flowers in Frances's heart. Frances was also influenced by her famous neighbor - Edward Augustus Bowles - who went by Gussie with his friends and family. Gussie was a plantsman and writer. He had a large garden featuring a series of garden rooms, and he also held a position on the Council of The Royal Horticultural Society. Frances would pick wildflowers and bring them to Gussie for identification. The two had a special bond. Gussie recommended Frances to the town's Nurseryman, Amos Perry Jr. The Perry nursery was started by Amos Perry Sr. and the Perry's were famous for their water and waterside gardening. Frances immediately loved working at the Perry's Hardy Plant Farm. In a short while, she was running the aquatic plant department and creating water garden exhibits for the Chelsea flower show. Amos had produced something else of interest for Frances - his son, the fern specialist, Gerald Alfred Amos Perry - who Frances described as, "a brilliant plantsman and propagator. The two were married in 1930 when Frances was just 22 years old. In three years, they had two sons - just eighteen months apart. In April of 1945, Frances and Gerald's older boy, Marcus, then 13 years old, was killed after being hit by a lorry. In a 1966 column, Frances wrote about an oriental poppy that kept an upright habit, and it had huge, orange-scarlet flowers in July and August — it was named the Marcus Perry. Amos Perry Sr. bred the poppy at the Hardy Plant Farm. In another column in April of 1990, Frances shared a tip about using poppies as cut flowers. It was something Gussie had taught her long ago: "His solution, which he taught me, was to take a large jug of very hot water into the garden late in the evening, then cut any buds which had straightened up from their normal bent position and started to show color. These were plunged practically up to their necks in the jug, then taken indoors and left until the next day to be arranged in more suitable vases." In 1954, Gussie died from a heart attack. It was May - springtime - and his ashes were scattered in his favorite part of the garden - the rock garden. The 1960s brought tremendous highs and lows for Frances. In 1964, Frances's husband Gerald died. Then, two years later, in 1966, Frances backfilled Vita Sackville-West as the gardening writer for The Observer. In addition to her column, over her long career, Frances wrote nearly twenty books. As with her first job at the nursery, Water Gardening was still considered her unique topic of expertise. Frances was dedicated to horticulture, and she experienced great success in her career. Yet, she didn't care for pandering. In I968, she became the first woman to be elected to the council of the Royal Horticultural Society. A controversy about the council not having any women had bubbled to the surface when the chair indicated that he didn't think any women existed that could meet the council's requirements. When Frances was elected, she challenged the council by writing: "If you want me because I am a woman, the answer is no. If you want me because of anything I have done in horticulture, the answer is yes." At the age of 70, Frances married Robert Edwin Hay, who went by Roy. Roy was a widower, a fellow horticulturist, journalist, and broadcaster; Frances was three years older than him. For a dozen years, Roy and Frances made a lovely pair. A l…
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate a man who wrote one of the most influential herbals in history and the French botanist who created the modern strawberry. We'll learn about the Father of Paleobotany and the sweet little Orchid known as the moccasin flower. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with the diary of a fabulous nurserywoman and garden designer. I'll talk about a garden item to get hung up on... and then we'll wrap things up with the fascinating birth flowers for the month of February. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Plant of the Month: The Sensitive Plant | JSTOR Daily JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. Aw... it's The Sensitive Plant! Whenever you touch it, the leaves fold up like a fan along its stem. "At first glance, Mimosa pudica ("poo-DEE-cah") is a plant that most people would consider a weed. It grows close to the ground, with countless delicate leaflets, puffy pinkish balls of flowers, and small bunches of legumes. So it makes sense that Mimosa pudica would be known as the "Humble Plant," but what about its association with other names, like "Herb of Love" and "Sensitive Plant"? When Linnaeus considered what separated living from non-living things he wrote, "Stones grow; plants grow and live; animals grow, live, and feel." With the Mimosa's apparent ability to feel, many people felt that the Sensitive Plant took on animal characteristics with its strong reaction to touch. The Sensitive Plant fascinated 18th-century botanists, scientists, and poets who often compared the plant to animals because of the reaction of the plant; contracting after being touched. In 1791, Erasmus Darwin wrote about the Sensitive Plant in a poem called The Botanic Garden. Weak with nice sense, this chaste Mimosa stands From each rude touch withdraws her timid hands; Oft as light clouds o'er-pass the Summer-glade, And feels, alive through all her tender form, The whisper'd murmurs of the gathering storm; Shuts her sweet eye-lids to approaching night, And hails with freshen'd charms the rising light. Honey Plant Growth Stimulator - Using Honey To Root Cuttings This post is from Gardening Know How. "Many people have found success with using honey to root cuttings. It is, after all, a natural antiseptic and contains anti-fungal properties — allowing the little cuttings to remain healthy and strong. Some people have even added honey to willow water to aid in rooting." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1515 Today is the birthday of Valerius Cordus. Cordus was the author of one of the most influential herbals in history. In fact, centuries later, the botanist Thomas Archibald Sprague re-published "The Herbal of Valerius Cordus" with his older sister, who he considered to be the best botanist in his botanist family. After the book was published, Sprague gifted her with a personal and gorgeous bound copy. He had the book dedicated to her in Latin: "M. S. Sprague praeceptrici olim hodie collaboratrici d.d. T. A. Sprague" - basically, thanking her for all that she had taught him and collaborated with him. Valerius Cordus died young, at the age of 29. He had contracted malaria. In 1544, Valerius had spent the summer botanizing in Italy with two French naturalists. At some point, he had waded into marshes in search of new plants. When he became sick a short time later, his friends brought him to Rome, and then, they continued on to Naples. When they returned for him, they found their friend, Valerius, had died. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Swiss botanist Konrad Gesner who had the sense to collect Cordus' prolific writings and preserve and publish them. One expert once said, "There was Theophrastus; there was nothing for 1,800 years; then there was Cordus." The genus Cordia is named in honor of Valerius Cordus. Cordia's are in the borage family, and many cordias have fragrant, showy flowers. Some cordias also produce edible fruits with strange and fascinating names like clammy cherries, glue berries, sebesten, or snotty gobbles. 1827 Today is the anniversary of the death of the French botanist, gardener, and professor at Versailles, Antoine Nicolas Duchesne ("do-Shane"). A specialist in strawberries and gourds, Duchesne was a student of Bernard de Jussieu at the Royal Garden in Paris. A plant pioneer, Duchesne recognized that mutation was a natural occurrence and that plants could be altered through mutation at any time. As a young botanist, Duchesne began experimenting with strawberries. Ever since the 1300s, wild strawberries had been incorporated into gardens. But, on July 6, 1764, Duchesne created the modern strawberry - the strawberry we know and love today. Strawberries are members of the rose family, and their seeds are on the outside of the fruit. Just how many seeds are on a single strawberry? Well, the average strawberry has around 200 seeds. Now, to get your strawberry plants to produce more fruit, plant them in full sun, in well-drained soil, and trim the runners. 1873 Today is the anniversary of the death of the French botanist and the Father of Paleobotany; Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart ("Bron-yahr"). Adolphe-Théodore and his wife had two sons, and when Adolphe-Théodore died, he died in the arms of his eldest son. As one of the most prominent botanists of the 19th century, Adolphe-Théodore worked to classify fossil plant forms, and he did so even before Charles Darwin. Adolphe-Théodore's work provided content for his book on the history of plant fossils in 1828. Adolphe-Théodore published his masterpiece when he was just 27 years old. Adolphe-Théodore's writing brought him notoriety and gave him the moniker "Father of Paleobotany." He was also called the "Linnaeus of Fossil Plants." A paleobotanist is someone who works with fossil plants. Plants have been living on the planet for over 400 million years. So, there are plenty of fossil plants to study and catalog. Adolphe-Théodore was not so much a fossil plant discoverer as he was a fossil plant organizer. He put fossil plants in order and applied principles for distinguishing them. In 1841, at the age of 40, Adolphe-Théodore received the Wollaston Medal for his work with fossil plants. It is the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London. The honor would have made his geologist father, Alexander, very proud. Adolphe-Théodore was a professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History. He was the backfill for Andre Michaux, who had left to explore the flora of North America. 1902 Today the Showy Lady's-Slipper became the State Flower of Minnesota. The Lady' s-Slipper Orchid was discovered in 1789 by the botanist William Aiton. The common name Lady' s-Slipper is from the unusual form of the third petal that makes that part of the bloom look like a little shoe. During his lifetime, Darwin repeatedly tried to propagate the Lady' s-Slipper Orchid. He never succeeded. Now, the growing conditions of the Lady' s-Slipper are quite particular - which is why they are almost impossible to keep in a traditional garden. It's also illegal to pick, uproot or unearth the flowers - which was a problem in the 1800s when people collected them almost to extinction. Since 1925, the Lady' s-Slipper has been protected by Minnesota state law. In the wild, Lady' s-Slippers grow in swamps, bogs, and damp woods. They take forever to grow, and they can grow for almost a decade before producing their first flower, which can last for two months in cooler weather. As long-lived plants, Lady' s-Slippers can grow as old as 100 years and grow up to 4 feet tall. To Native Americans, the Lady' s-Slipper was known as the moccasin flower. An old Ojibwe legend told of a plague that had occurred during a harsh winter. Many people died - including the tribal healer. Desperate for help, a young girl was sent to find medicine. But, the snow was deep, and in her haste, she lost her boots and left a trail of bloody footprints in the snow. Every spring, the legend was that her footprints were marked with the beautiful moccasin flower. One summer, when Henry David Thoreau came upon a red variety of Lady' s-Slipper in the woods, he wrote about it, saying: "Everywhere now in dry pitch pine woods stand the red Lady's-Slipper over the red pine leaves on the forest floor rejoicing in June. Behold their rich striped red, their drooping sack." Unearthed Words Here are some words about this time of year. The day is ending, The night is descending; The marsh is frozen, The river is dead. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, An Afternoon in February A man says a lot of things in summer he doesn't mean in winter. — Patricia Briggs, American Fantasy Writer, Dragon's Blood Pleasures newly found are sweet When they lie about our feet: February last, my heart First at sight of thee was glad; All unheard of as thou art, Thou must needs, I think, have had, Celandine ("seh·luhn·dine")! And long ago. Praise of which I nothing know. — William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet, To the Same Flower (In medieval lore, it was believed that mother birds dropped the juice of the celandineinto the eyes of their blind fledglings.) I was just thinking if it is really religion with these nudist colonies, they sure must turn atheists in the wintertime. — Will Rogers, American actor & cowboy The twelve months… Snowy, Flowy, Blowy, Showery, Flowery, Bowery, Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy, Breezy, Sneezy, Freezy. — George Ellis, Jamaican-born English satirical poet Grow That Garden Library Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook Beth's book was a monthly record of everything she did in her garden. Her chapters covered the garden, but also bits of her life. From a personal standpoint, Beth shared her successes as well as her failures. She was a business owner and ran a garden center, and she also showed a garden at Chelsea, which was a tremendous thrill but also an incredible amount of work. Beth gardened for over four decades, and she appreciated the time-factor of gardening and the patience required to grow a garden and grow into a good gardener. She wrote: "As certain of our plants take many years to mature, so it takes a long time to grow a genuine plantsman. Those of us who have been at it longest know that one lifetime is not half enough, once you become aware of the limitless art of gardening." Here's an excerpt from her chapter on January. Beth's talking about a mass planting of shrubs that appeared less-than-enticing in the winter landscape: "I remember several years ago… suddenly feeling very dissatisfied with a group of shrubs which had not faulted when they were full of leaf (and, for a few weeks, blossom) during the summer. But now, leafless and with nothing distinguished about their habit of growth, the whole patch looked muddled, formless and lifeless. By removing some of it, planting a holly and Mahonia among the rest together with vigorous sheaves of the evergreen Iris foetidissima ("FOY-ta-dis-EMMA")'Citrina' nearby and patches of small-leafed ivies as ground cover, the picture became much more interesting in winter and now forms a better background to the summer carnival which passes before it." In her book, Beth writes in conversation with the reader. In January, she asks: "If you look out of your favorite window now, are you satisfied with the view? Does it lack design? Would a small-leafed, narrowly pyramidal Holly do anything for it, and how many plants can you see which remain green -or grey, or bronze -throughout the winter, furnishing the bare soil at ground level?" Finally, Beth begins her chapter on February with a word about how, for many nursery owners and landscapers, this time of year can feel overwhelming as the full weight of the season's work is anticipated. Beth also acknowledged how difficult it was for her to write during the garden season. This is a common challenge for garden writers who are too busy gardening in the summer to write but then can find less inspiration to write in the winter without their gardens. "This morning, I awoke to hear the grandfather clock striking 4 a.m. and was immediately alert, all my present commitments feverishly chasing themselves through my head. Apart from a garden I have foolishly agreed to plan, there is the Chelsea Flower Show nudging more and more insistently as the weeks rush towards May. Usually, I have a nucleus of large plants and shrubs in containers that provide an established looking background. [But] the sudden severe weather in January has killed off several of my old plants. I have no frost-free place large enough to protect them all; in normal winters, a plastic-covered tunnel has been sufficient. Another commitment is this notebook, which has been fermenting in my mind for several months. I would like to write it, to record some of the ups and downs of a nursery garden, but my one fear is not finding time to write decently. Even keeping up a scrappy diary becomes difficult as the sap rises." You can get a used copy of Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $9. Great Gifts for Gardeners AOMGD 3 Pack Macrame Plant Hanger and 3 PCS Hooks Indoor Outdoor Hanging Plant Holder Hanging Planter Stand Flower Pots for Decorations - Cotton Rope, 4 Leg-Strings, 3 Sizes $9.89 HANDMADE WEAVE: Show your plants some love with this elegant, vintage-inspired macrame plant hanger. Simple, yet meticulously handcrafted, this beauty would add a touch of elegance and beauty to your home, balcony, or your patio. PACKAGE INCLUDE: 3 PCS hooks and 3 PCS different sizes plant hanger, approximate length:46"/41"/34", and diameter: 2cm.Fit multiple pot size and shape, ideal pot size is 3-10". (No pot or plant included).Color: off-white Create Nice Home: Hanging plant holders can be used for indoor, outdoor, living room, kitchen, deck, patio, high, and low ceiling. This hanging plant stand has a strong, flexible woven design that can accommodate various shapes and sizes of planters (pots not included). The maximum load is about 12 pounds. EASY INSTALLATION: the hangers are suitable for indoor and outdoor use; Just expand the four leg-strings, put the plant pot in the middle of the conjunction. The perfect solution for pet owners if the pet has a tendency to destroy your plants, then this one will save you from lots of struggle! Nice Gift: Ideal to decorate pathways and indoor. It will be a great and practical gift for a plant lover. They'll love the freedom to display their plants wherever they want. It's perfect for birthdays, Christmas, and more! Today's Botanic Spark Even though roses are often associated with February (thanks to Valentine's Day), February's birth flower is not the rose. Instead, February has two birth flowers. In England, February's birth flower is the Violet, and in the United States, February is honored with the Primrose. With regard to the Violet, the plantsman Derek Jarman once wrote: "Violet has the shortest wavelength of the spectrum. Behind it, the invisible ultraViolet. 'Roses are Red; Violets are Blue.…
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate one of Britain's great explorers and the first apple parer. We'll learn about the wonderful willow, and we'll celebrate the very first field trip of the Philadelphia Botanical Club, which happened 128 years ago today. Today's Unearthed Words feature poems from the author of Anne of Green Gables. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that essentially offers an herb seasoning master class in between its pages I'll talk about a garden item that comes in handy for gifting natural elements from the garden along with a whole host of other uses... and then we'll wrap things up with the story of a woman who married a botanist and then wrote about her adventures with him. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles 10 Ideas For What To Do With Broken Plant Pots | Joy Us Garden Don't toss that old, broken pot out just yet! Whether you nestle it, fill it with herbs, stack it, lay it sideways, create a layered planting, or add cacti/succulents, the options are endless! 10 Benefits of Growing Chives | Great Post @GrowForCookFerm: 10 Benefits of Growing Chives in the Spring Garden! They are perennial with a long growing season and are the perfect garnish. They also attract pollinators, have edible blossoms, tasty greens, and are high in Vitamins K & A. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1779 Today is the anniversary of the death of one of the great British explorers, and he commanded a vessel called The Endeavor, Captain James Cook. At the age of 26, Cook joined the Royal Navy later than most, at the age of 26. He drew attention with his Superior map-making skills, which helped the British Launch a successful attack in Quebec. Later, when Cook took command of his own ship, he was usually accompanied by artists, scientists, astronomers, and botanists like Sir Joseph Banks - who accompanied Cook on the first successful voyage to Australia. A year later, Cook sailed again, but this time Banks would not be going. Instead, a German, Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg—would be the botanists for his next voyage. Cook's death on this day in 1779 in Hawaii was gruesome. Angered when Hawaiian natives stole one of his cutter ships, Cook ordered the bay sealed off. Cook went ashore at the North end of the bay and asked the King and his sons to come away as hostages. The King's wife broke down, crying and begged him not to go with Cook. The King's people suddenly rose up and defended him and threw stones at Cook. Meanwhile, on the South end of the bay, a high-ranking chief had tried to break through the barricade. Cook's men shot him. A battle started that swept up the bay just as Cook was attempting to leave the King. Cook signaled for boats to come and get them off the beach. As Cook was making his way to the shore to escape, a native clubbed him with a piece of fencing and ran off. As Cook attempted to rise, another native stabbed in the back of the neck with a dagger. Cook's head was held under the water as he was killed with clubs and stones. Afterward, the islanders prepared a Royal Funeral for him, removing his hands from his body and preserving them in salt. The rest of his body was roasted in a pit so that his bones could be picked clean. Last year, the Australian government announced they were budgeting $50 million to redevelop Cook's 1770 landing place. The plans include turning the area into a major tourist attraction and include the addition of a $3 million statue of Cook himself. Australia Treasurer Scott Morrison said it would be, "a place of commemoration, recognition, and understanding of two cultures and the incredible Captain Cook." The redevelopment is slated to be ready this year, 2020, in time to mark the 250th anniversary of the landing. 1803Today a patent for an Apple Paring Machine, was given to Moses Coates of Downington, Pennsylvania. Over the next hundred years, 150 different patents would be issued for apple parers - and most would be variations in improvements on Coates's original machine. The parer that Moses created was a cranked wooden gadget that had a metal blade and prongs that would hold the apple. If you're able to find one of Moses Coates apple parers today, you will pay between $200 and $400. Coatesville, Pennsylvania, was named by Moses Coates. And, Moses patented a number of pieces of equipment, including a machine that was used to cut straw. Before the invention of the apple parer, people used to host apple harvest festivals where are all the apples would be gathered in paired in a paring spree. All the apples would be pared by hand. The apple slices and quarters would end up and huge kettles that would have to be stirred all day - for about 8 hours. Then, when the mixture started to turn dark, biscuits would be made, and then everyone would line up for a biscuit with a slab of apple butter. 1856 Today Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal about a natural willow hedge. "I was struck today by the size and continuousness of the natural willow hedge on the east side of the railroad causeway... Some twelve years ago, when that causeway was built through the meadows, there were no willows there or near there, but now, just at the foot of the sand-bank, where it meets the meadow, and on the line of the fence, quite a dense willow hedge has planted itself. I used to think that the seeds were brought with the sand from the Deep Cut in the woods, but there is no golden willow there; but now I think that the seeds have been blown hither from a distance, and lodged against the foot of the bank, just as the snow-drift accumulates there... They plant themselves here solely, and not in the open meadow, as exclusively as along the shores of a river. The sand-bank is a shore to them, and the meadow a lake. How impatient, how rampant, how precocious these osiers ("OH-see-ers")! They have hardly made two shoots from the sand in as many springs when silvery catkins burst out along them, and anon golden blossoms and downy seeds, spreading their race with incredible rapidity. Thus they multiply and clan together. Thus they take advantage even of the railroad, which elsewhere disturbs and invades their domains. May I ever be in as good spirits as a willow! How tenacious of life! How withy! How soon it gets over its hurts! They never despair. Is there no moisture longer in nature which they can transmute into sap? They are emblems of youth, joy, and everlasting life. Scarcely is their growth restrained by winter, but their silvery down peeps forth in the warmest days in January." Willow (Salix) trees are native to northern China. They can reproduce from seeds, broken twigs, or even leaves. A speedy grower, Willows can grow 10 feet in a single year. In the spring, weeping Willows silver-tinged green catkins appear on the branches. The fuzzy catkins that contain either male or female flowers depending on the sex of the tree. You can force cuttings of willows to bloom by bringing them indoors. The catkins will open and flower in a vase of water. Don't forget to save your willow water for rooting. Willow water contains a natural rooting hormone. A mix of 50% fresh water and 50% willow water is an excellent solution to get cuttings to root. 1892 Today the Philadelphia Botanical Club took their very first field trip to Bartram's Garden. In 1850, Andrew McCalla Eastwick (1806-1879), an engineer and the inventor of the steam shovel, bought the 46-acre Bartram estate from John Bartram's granddaughter, Ann Bartram Carr. Eastwick had banked a personal mint after building railroads for Czar Nicholas I of Russia. Unlike the fate of many old homes, Eastwick decided not to tear down the existing house. Instead, he kept the Bartram family homestead as a memorial, building his own mansion beside Bartrams. He also made sure the historic garden was kept intact. He vowed not to harm "one bush" planted by the Bartrams. In 2015, Bartram's Garden, in Philadelphia, was designated an American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Horticultural Landmark. The prestigious award commemorates sites based on their historical, scientific, environmental, and aesthetic value. The award was first presented to Monticello, home of President Thomas Jefferson. Other recipients include Longwood Gardens, Missouri Botanical Garden, New York Botanical Garden, Arnold Arboretum, and Fairchild Botanical Garden. Unearthed Words Here are wintery poems from the beloved author of the Anne of Green Gables series: Frosty-white and cold it lies Underneath the fretful skies; Snowflakes flutter where the red Banners of the poppies spread, And the drifts are wide and deep Where the lilies fell asleep. — But the sunsets o'er it throw Flame-like splendor, lucent glow, And the moonshine makes it gleam Like a wonderland of dream, And the sharp winds all the day Pipe and whistle shrilly gay. — Safe beneath the snowdrifts lie Rainbow buds of by-and-by; In the long, sweet days of spring Music of bluebells shall ring, And its faintly golden cup Many a primrose will hold up. Though the winds are keen and chill Roses' hearts are beating still, And the garden tranquility In the summer days of blue All its dreamings will come true. — Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Garden in Winter Above the marge of night, a star still shines, And on the frosty hills the somber pines Harbor an eerie wind that crooneth low Over the glimmering wastes of virgin snow. Through the pale arch of orient the morn Comes in a milk-white splendor newly-born, A sword of crimson cuts in twain the gray Banners of shadow hosts, and lo, the day! — Lucy Maud Montgomery, A Winter Dawn Grow That Garden Library A Taste for Herbs by Sue Goetz The subtitle of this book is A Guide To Seasonings, Mixes, and Blends from the Herb Lover's Garden. Sue's book helps you become an herbal taste master. The preview to this book challenges us to think of this book as an herb seasoning Master Class - filled with simple secrets for capturing the power of flavor from your herb garden. And here's how Sue describes her book. She writes: In these pages, you'll find all you need to know about 20 of the most commonly used and flavor-rich herbs: how to grow them (which is easy), the best varieties to choose, what parts to use, essential information, and tips throughout. I'll take you step-by-simple-step, through harvesting, preserving the herbs, and capturing all those precious flavors. And, as promised, there are the recipes - over a hundred - showing you how to flavor, mix, mingle, and blend herbs into almost any meal. The big takeaway is that you become a creator of flavors, a master of blends, an infusion maven. And, you deepen your relationship with the plants that you bring to your table and the garden that produces them. Now, this book just recently celebrated its one-year anniversary on February 1st. You can get a used copy of and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $8. 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Today's Botanic Spark 1897 Today is the birthday of the English writer Eleanor Constance Rundall Bor. Eleanor is remembered for her book "The Adventures of a Botanist's Wife" - a book I own multiple copies of - it's a favorite of mine. In 1931, Eleanor went to India, where she married her Irish botanist husband, Norman Bor. Norman became the Director of the Forest Research Institute at Dehra Dun. After establishing himself as a world authority on Asian grasses, Norman returned to England to become Assistant Director of Kew Gardens. Eleanor wrote and illustrated "The Adventures of a Botanist's Wife" about their life together in India. In 1952, the newspaper in Melbourne Australia featured Eleanor's book in an article called "On Top of the World." Here's an excerpt: SHE WORE SAND SHOES for a simple reason. They were the only comfortable shoes she could buy in Shillong and, since she was determined to miss none of the mountain trips made by her botanist husband, she accepted the shoes. Surprisingly, they proved comfortable, and, as she clambered around the incredible cliff edge paths, thousands of feet above deep Himalayan gorges, she was grateful for the firm grip of the rubber. Mrs. Bor had expected to share exciting plant discoveries and, at least, to give her name to a rare orchid. Instead, she found her husband was a specialist in grasses, and it was a new species of grass extremely rare but, to her, looking no more than a "mangy bit of fur" that finally bore her name. Once [ on a mountain] stepping from mist and snow, they saw below them, on the white mountain slopes, a blaze of rhododendrons and magnolias, and In their camp that night burned rhododendron logs. Their mountain trips were often dangerous. Mrs. Bor hated crossing the cobweb-like cane bridges strung hundreds of feet above foaming torrents. The Rupa bridge was especially terrifying, with only strands of cane for a foothold and tall hoops set a yard apart for the hands to grip. More menacing than cane bridges and cliff tracks were the insects. Wild animals were not alarming, but the hornets, centipedes, horse flies, dam dims, and above all, the leeches made camping In the Jungle foothills a nightmare. One reviewer wrote: "Here is a story told with the charm and simplicity of a life spent in the foothills of the Himalayas where Eleanor Bor and her botanist husband tramp through jungled terrain establishing friendly relations with hill tribes and villagers, discovering the enchantments of mysterious undergrowth and carrying with them the domestic problems of household pets and family happenings. Their years in the jungle, as told by the author, are those of a true traveler."
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the botanist who sailed with Captain James Cook on the Endeavor and the man regarded as the father of North American mycology. We'll learn about the man who patented the first practical lawnmower 198 years ago today. Today's Unearthed Words feature a poet and writer who used the names Flora or Florilla as her pseudonyms. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about one man's adventures with bumblebees. I'll talk about a flexible and tough garden item to help you plant your seedlings, and it is reusable to boot. And then, we'll wrap things up with the story of a woman who knew the botanical world of Nantucket like the back of her hand. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Curated Articles 2020 Wildflower of the Year – North Carolina Botanical Garden The 2020 North Carolina Wildflower of the Year: marsh-pink (Sabatia angularis "Sah-BAY-tee-ah ANG-you-LARE-iss) @NCBotGarden aka: rose gentian, rose pink, or bitter-bloom. A biennial - Native to US (South & East), Grows in low, wet meadows, woods & along roadsides. Marsh-pink grows best in moist soil in full to partial sun and is infrequently offered in nurseries because of its biennial habit. It seemingly disappears in years of drought, Vita Sackville-West on her garden at Sissinghurst (1950) | House & Garden Wow. Great share from @_houseandgarden archive: Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst (1950). If you are renovating or starting from scratch - read this & be inspired! "The place had been in the market for three years since the death of the last farmer-owner... Brambles grew in wild profusion; bindweed wreathed its way into every support; ground-elder made a green carpet; docks and nettles flourished; couch grass sprouted; half the fruit trees in the orchard were dead; the ones that remained alive were growing in the coarsest grass; the moat was silted up and so invaded by reeds and bulrushes that the water was almost invisible; paths there were none, save of trodden mud. It had its charm. It was Sleeping Beauty's castle with a vengeance — if you liked to see it with a romantic eye. But, if you also looked at it with a realistic eye, you saw that Nature run wild was not quite so romantic as you thought, and entailed a great deal of laborious tidying up. The most urgent thing to do was to plant hedges. We were extravagant over this, and planted yew, and have never regretted it. Everybody told us it took at least a century to make a good yew hedge, but the photographs will, I think, disprove this: the hedge is now only seventeen years old, a mere adolescent, and, at the end where the ground slopes and it has been allowed to grow up in order to maintain the top-level, it is 16 feet high. At the end of all this is the herb garden, which always seems to allure visitors, no doubt because it is a secret, sentimental little place. "Old world charm" is the phrase I always expect to hear, and nine times out of ten, I get it. But, less romantically, the herb garden does supply very useful things to the kitchen. One needs years of patience to make a garden; one needs deeply to love it in order to endure that patience. One needs optimism and foresight. One has to wait. One has to work hard oneself, sometimes, as I had to work hard, manually, during the war years, cutting all those hedges with shears in my spare time. I hated those hedges when I looked at my blistered hands, but at the same time, I still felt that it had been worthwhile planting them. They were the whole pattern and design and anatomy of the garden, and, as such, was worth any trouble I was willing to take." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1743 Today is the birthday of Joseph Banks. Banks is best known for his study of Australian flora and fauna and his role as the botanist on board the Endeavor with Captain James Cook. When they landed in Australia, neither Cook nor Banks realized that the quartz reef where they planted the British Flag contained gold. The area would remain untouched by Europeans for almost two more decades. Before returning to England, Cook worried the Endeavor wouldn't make it around the Cape of Good Hope. In a fateful decision, Cook had brought the ship to Batavia, a Dutch colony, to fortify his boat. Batavia was a dangerous place where malaria and dysentery were rampant. As a result of his stop, Cook lost a staggering 38 members of his crew. Banks, and a fellow botanist Daniel Solander, managed to survive the stop, although, at one point, they were both gravely ill. Even as they battled back from illness, they still went out to collect specimens. As gardeners, we owe a great debt to Banks. When he returned to England, it was Joseph Banks who advised George III on the creation of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. And, in 1778, when Linnaeus died, his belongings went up for sale. By then, Joseph Banks was the President of the Linnean Society. Joseph acted quickly, buying everything of horticultural value on behalf of the society. Linnaeus' notebooks and specimens were on a ship bound for England by the time the king of Sweden realized Linnaeus' legacy was no longer in Sweden. He sent a fast Navy ship in pursuit of Banks' precious cargo, but it was too late. And so, Banks secured the legacy of Linnaeus, which is why Linnaeus's collection is in London at the Linnaeus Society's Burlington House. And, Banks helped spread Linnaeus's ideas across the globe, which was easier for him to accomplish since he was based in London, the hub for the science of botany. At his London residence, Banks hired the Scottish botanist Robert Brown to be his botanical librarian. The two became lifelong friends. So much so, that when Banks died in 1820, he left his home, his collections, and his library to Brown, and he also endowed him with a sizeable yearly allowance. 1780Today is the birthday of the Moravian clergyman and botanist Lewis David von Schweinitz, also known as the "Father of North American Mycology." Mycology is the study of fungi. Lewis was born in Pennsylvania, and he was a descendant on his mother's side of Count Zinzendorf - the founder of the Moravian Church. Lewis's home town of Bethlehem Pennsylvania was a Moravian settlement. When Lewis was seven years old, he was placed in a Moravian boarding school called Nazareth Hall. One of Lewis's earliest memories was visiting Nazareth Hall before attending there. He passed by one of the classrooms and saw a specimen of lichen digitatus sitting on a table, and he went to inspect it. It was Lewis's first experience with botany, and it would become his favorite subject. After completing his education, Lewis moved to Niesky, Germany, with his family. He was 18 years old. In Germany, Lewis became a pastor, got married, and studied botany in his spare time. He even managed to help his professor put together a book featuring over 1,000 different types of fungi found in Niesky. Lewis used his natural talent for drawing and painting to created watercolors of the specimens featured, and they are now digitized and available online. After many years in Germany, Lewis and his wife moved back to the United States to lead a Moravian church. They settled in Salem, North Carolina. Although the church was his primary focus, throughout his adulthood, Lewis devoted all of his spare time to the study of fungi. Between 1812 and 1821, Lewis collected in and around Salem North, Carolina. He was essentially replicating the work he had performed in Germany under the direction of his botany professor. In 1818, Lewis published his work on the fungi of North Carolina. Then, four years later, in 1822, Lewis published an even more comprehensive book featuring a staggering 3,000 species of fungi. In all, Lewis single-handedly published over 1,200 new species of fungi. When Lewis died, his enormous herbarium made its way to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. And here's a fun side note that pertains to Lewis Schweinitz: In 1986, botanists discovered the rare sunflower named for Lewis Schweinitz - the Schweinitz sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii) near Rock Hill in South Carolina. The Schweinitz sunflower exists only in about a dozen little pockets around Rock Hill and Charlotte. Lewis, himself, initially discovered the Schweinitz sunflower in 1821. 1822 On this day, Jeremiah Bailey of Chester county, Pennsylvania, patented the first practical lawnmower; it had two wheels and was pulled by a horse. A person could mow up to ten acres a day with Bailey's machine. After locals trialed the device, they reported, "We consider it as one of the most complete and useful labor-saving machines for agricultural uses hitherto invented..." The first genuinely successful machine would be patented ten years later by Obed Hussey of Maryland. Unearthed Words 1825 Today is the birthday of the heartfelt American poet and writer - known at Rutland's poet and Vermont's unofficial poet laureate - Julia Dorr. As a girl, her pseudonym was Flora or Florillla. The poet William Cullen Bryant once read one of her poems and wrote to tell her how much he loved the beauty of its imagery. And Ralph Waldo Emerson visited her and included one of her poems - called Outgrown - in his book called Parnassus. As you hear today's poems, imagine Julia Dorr writing in her little study next to the parlor. She had a window by her desk that overlooked her flower garden, which she called "her refuge and her inspiration." Roly-poly honey bee, Humming in the clover, Under you, the tossing leaves And the blue sky over, Why are you so busy, pray? Never still a minute, Hovering now above a flower. Now half-buried in it! — Honeybee And all the meadows, wide unrolled, Were green and silver, green and gold, Where buttercups and daisies spun Their shining tissues in the sun. — Unanswered I know a spot where the wild vines creep, And the coral moss-cups grow, And where at the foot of the rocky steep, The sweet blue violets blow. —Over the Wall And the stately lilies stand Fair in the silvery light, Like saintly vestals, pale in prayer; Their pure breath sanctifies the air, As its fragrance fills the night. — A Red Rose Often I linger where the roses pour Exquisite odors from each glowing cup; Or where the violet, brimmed with sweetness o'er, Lifts its small chalice up. — Without and Within Plant a white rose at my feet, Or a lily fair and sweet, With the humble mignonette And the blue-eyed violet. — Earth to Earth Around in silent grandeur stood The stately children of the wood; Maple and elm and towering pine Mantled in folds of dark woodbine. — At the Gate Meadow-sweet or lily fair— Which shall it be? Clematis or brier-rose, Blooming for me? Spicy pink, or violet With the dews of morning wet, Sweet peas or mignonette— Which shall it be? Blue-bells and yellow-bells Swinging in the air; Purple pansies, golden pied; Pink-white daisies, starry-eyed; Gay nasturtiums, deeply dyed, Climbing everywhere. Life is so full, so sweet— How can I choose? If I gather this rose, That I must lose! All are not for me to wear; I can only have my share; Thorns are hiding here and there; How can I choose? — Choosing O my garden! Lying whitely in the moonlight and the dew, Far across the leagues of distance flies my heart to-night to you, And I see your stately lilies In the tender radiance gleam With a dim, mysterious splendor, like the angels of a dream! I can see the trellised arbor, and the roses crimson And the lances of the larkspurs all glittering, row on row, And the wilderness of hollyhocks, where brown bees seek their spoil, And butterflies dance all day long, in glad and gay turmoil. — Homesick My true love sent me a valentine All on a winter's day, And suddenly the cold gray skies Grew soft and warm as May! The snowflakes changed to apple blooms, A pink- white fluttering crowd, And on the swaying maple boughs The robins sang aloud. For moaning wintry winds, I heard The music sweet and low Of morning-glory trumpets Through which the soft airs blow. O love of mine, my Valentine! This is no winter day — For Love rules all the calendars, And Love knows only May! —An Answer To A Valentine Julia died just before her 88th birthday in 1913. In Evergreen Cemetery, in Rutland, Vermont, Julia shares a tombstone with her husband, Seneca. The stone features her poem "Beyond." For your understanding, a barque is a ship with three masts. Beyond the sunset's crimson bars, Beyond the twilight and the stars, Beyond the midnight and the dark, Sail on, sail on, O happy barque. Into the dawn of that Tomorrow Where hearts shall find the end of sorrow And Love shall find its own! — Beyond Grow That Garden Library A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson The subtitle of this book is My Adventures with Bumblebees. Dave's book is fascinating, and it will change the way you think about bumblebees. When he was a little boy, Dave became obsessed with wildlife. Although he grew up with a menagerie of pets, bumblebees were his passion. I thought you would enjoy hearing a few excerpts from Dave's book. Here's where he talks about the biology of the Bumblebee: "They have to eat almost continually to keep warm; a bumblebee with a full stomach is only ever about forty minutes from starvation. If a bumblebee runs out of energy, she cannot fly, and if she cannot fly, she cannot get to flowers to get more food, so she is doomed." Then, here's where Dave tells us what we can do to help the Bumblebee. The answer for gardeners is a pretty simple one. Dave writes: "The key to helping our rarer species to thrive is probably simply to add more flower patches to the landscape, making it a little easier for them to find food and keep their nests well provisioned." And Dave is hopeful about the future of the Bumblebee And about the impact that each of us can have on their survival. He writes: "Conserving bumblebees is something anyone can do. A single lavender bush on a patio or in a window box will attract and feed bumblebees, even in the heart of a city." And I love that Dave includes this fantastic quote from Andrew Downing, the 19th-century American horticulturist. "The music of the busy bee Is drowsy, and it comforts me; But, ah! 'tis quite another thing, When that same bee concludes to sting!" Dave's book came out in 2014. You can get a used copy of A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $4. Great Gifts for Gardeners eHabitus Sili-Seedlings Silicone Seed Starting Tray $12.50 100% SILICONE: FDA-approved, BPA free, food-grade silicone. Package quantity: 2, cell size: 2" X 2" X 2.25" STERILIZABLE – Dishwasher safe; steam clean or wash with hot water. Sterilizing your trays helps prevent cross-contamination and keeps your garden hygienic. INFINITELY REUSABLE – They last forever. Comfortably fits 2" plugs of rock wool or any material. A large drainage hole in the bottom ensures adequate bottom-watering. EASY SOIL RELEASE – Flexible silicone walls are optimal for transplanting seedlings by protecting the integrity of the roots and soil. The bendable material makes releasing soil simple and easy. No crinkling, no cracking, no ripping, no waste. These seed starter trays are built to last a lifetime. Our seedling trays will never melt, bec…
Full show notes at the publisher
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